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Florida Hospital Shooting: Suspect Charged With Two Counts Of Murder In ‘Random’ Attack [Video]

By Patricia Ramirez
Published on: 11:18 PST, Jul 17, 2016

A shooting at a Florida hospital early on Sunday morning resulted in the deaths of an employee and a patient, as well as the arrest of the 29-year-old alleged shooter. According to reports, David Owens walked into the Parrish Medical Center at about 2 a.m. local time on Sunday armed with a handgun. He then proceeded to the third floor of the Florida hospital, where he shot and killed both an elderly patient and a hospital employee.

As Fox News reports, Owens entered the Florida hospital via the emergency room entrance before making his way up to the third floor and shooting 88-year-old Cynthia Zingsheim, a patient, and 36-year-old Carrie Rouzer, an employee of the Florida hospital.

According to Titusville police and local media reports, the third floor of the Florida hospital, where the deadly shooting took place, is the same floor that the hospital’s birthing suites are located.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qLCpig75_c

Initial reports indicate that the Florida hospital shooting took place in a single room and was a completely random and unprovoked attack on innocent people. Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey addressed the media about the heartbreaking and incomprehensible situation.

“It appears to be extremely random.”

Local law enforcement have publicly praised two security guards employed at the Florida hospital with preventing the horrific situation from becoming exponentially worse, especially considering that it took place on the same floor as 210 birthing beds.

The security guards were both unarmed, but they managed to tackle, disarm, and subdue Owens upon entering the room where the shooting took place. They held the alleged shooter until local law enforcement arrived to secure the scene and make an arrest.

“The suspect left the one handgun used behind in the room. Hospital security guards tackled the suspect shortly after and held him down for arriving officers.”

Police say that the two unarmed security guards working at the Florida hospital responded quickly to the shooting, possibly preventing more bloodshed.

The suspect in the Florida hospital shooting has been booked into the Brevard County Jail. He has been charged with two counts of murder.

Law enforcement and investigators have been unable to uncover a motive in the hospital shooting and have said that they don’t believe that David Owens has any connection to either of the victims he allegedly gunned down in cold blood. Police officers advised the public that they don’t believe there to be a continued public threat following the Florida hospital shooting and arrest of the lone suspect in the incident.

“This was strictly an isolated incident.”

CNN reports that a Parrish Medical Center employee has spoken publicly regarding the deadly Florida hospital shooting. Natalie Sellers, the spokeswoman for the Florida hospital, was quick to offer praise not only to the security guards that limited the scope of the alleged shooter’s rampage, but also the rest of the Florida hospital’s staff for their roles in managing the unexpected and unprovoked attack on a patient and one of their own.

“I want to commend our staff and the immediate and fast response they implemented.”

The Florida hospital spokeswoman went on to express her condolences over the brutal murders of Cynthia Zingsheim and Carrie Rouzer.

“We’re mourning the loss of one our care partners, and we’re certainly mourning the loss of one of our patients.”

Parrish Medical Center is located roughly 40 miles east of Orlando, Florida.

The Parrish Medical Center shooting was only the first of two mass shootings to take place in the United States on Sunday. Baton Rogue, Louisiana was also targeted by a mass shooter; in that incident, it appears as though the motivation may have been connected to the recent anti-police violence protests and sentiment rocking the U.S. The Baton Rogue shooter killed three police officers and wounded three more.

Police are still investigating the Florida hospital shooting for a possible motive.

[Image via Shutterstock]

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