Florida VA hospital shooter was veteran receiving mental health treatment, FBI says
South Florida Sun SentinelFeb 28, 2019
The physicians, at the
One of the doctors, identified by his initials
Bon was armed with a black handgun and screaming about cigarettes, according to the affidavit.
Earlier Wednesday, a doctor had admitted Bon to the emergency room to receive mental health treatment under the state's Baker Act, the affidavit said. The Act allows a person to be briefly, involuntarily hospitalized if the person is considered mentally unstable or a danger to him or herself or others.
To distract Bon,
As the men struggled over the weapon, Bon fired about three more shots.
One bullet grazed
Despite his injury, the doctor managed to wrestle the gun free and handed it to another doctor, a woman who was identified as E.A. by the
E.A. was against a wall as Bon, who had apparently fallen off of his scooter, crawled toward her.
She held the gun up out of his reach and shielded herself with a chair.
To keep the gun from Bon, she threw it back to
Bon tried to attack E.A., and a patient helped her, the affidavit said.
They used a chair to pin Bon against a wall until police arrived and took him into custody.
Investigators later found a bullet had struck a second hospital employee in the buttocks.
While speaking with reporters Wednesday night,
Bon's disability was not related to his military service, which was brief and during the 1970s.
The wounded doctor underwent surgery at
Rutan said the facility "continuously conducts safety training and exercises to help ensure appropriate responses to active threat situations, and that training was put to great use yesterday."
Federal law mostly prohibits guns in federal facilities, Rutan said. She cited a statute that makes exception for members of the military and law enforcement who may be on official duty who are authorized to have weapons inside those buildings.
The
Bon is facing a charge of assaulting certain officers or employees with a deadly or dangerous weapon.
He was found to be indigent during a federal magistrate hearing.
His detention hearing, when bond may be discussed, is scheduled for
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