Chicago officer killed after suspect obtains gun inside hospital

A Chicago police officer died Sunday and a second was critically wounded after a suspect in police custody obtained a firearm inside Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital and opened fire, ABC7 reported.

The fatal shooting occurred despite hospital security scanning the suspect with weapon-detection tools on arrival, exposing persistent gaps in safety protocols when officers transport suspects to medical facilities.

The suspect was transported to Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital in Chicago around 9 a.m. Sunday while in police custody, according to ABC7. Hospital security personnel scanned the individual with weapon-detection tools upon arrival.

About two hours later, around 11 a.m., the suspect obtained a firearm somewhere inside the hospital and opened fire before fleeing the building. Both officers who had accompanied the suspect were struck.

One officer was pronounced dead at the hospital. The second officer remained in critical condition as of Sunday, ABC7 reported.

Authorities apprehended the suspect shortly after the shooting, and a firearm was recovered at the scene. No hospital staff or patients sustained physical injuries.

"No team members or patients were physically harmed as a result of this incident," Endeavor Health said in a statement, according to ABC7. The hospital added that "the campus is currently closed while law enforcement leads their investigation."

The identities of the officers and the suspect had not been released as of Sunday morning.

The hospital campus remained closed Sunday afternoon as Chicago police and other law enforcement agencies led the investigation into how the suspect obtained the weapon despite being screened upon arrival.