Prosecutor A police officer who died during a standoff at a Pennsylvania hospital was fatally wounded by police gunfire intended for the gunman holding hostages, a prosecutor announced Wednesday.
Prosecutor Several others, including another officer, sustained injuries.
York County District Attorney Tim Barker revealed that a shotgun round fired by law enforcement struck both Archangel-Ortiz and Duarte. Another responding officer was also injured by the blast as police attempted to secure the hospital’s intensive care unit.
Barker praised the officers involved as courageous first responders who willingly entered a deadly situation to protect others. He said Archangel-Ortiz was responsible for Duarte’s death, describing his actions as “a torrent of evil.”
“I reviewed every frame of the video,” Barker said. “What I saw in each officer was the willingness to walk—no, run—into the path of danger, risking their lives to save others.
The incident unfolded after Archangel-Ortiz was informed that the woman he lived with had died following treatment at the hospital. Investigators could not determine a clear motive or mental health condition that explained his actions, Barker said.
“There were no signs or warnings that indicated he would carry out such extreme violence,” he added.
That morning, Archangel-Ortiz had purchased zip ties and a knife. He also used a 9mm handgun that had been reported stolen from a neighboring county in 2017. Barker said Archangel-Ortiz appeared visibly distressed after learning of his partner’s death and moments later pulled out the gun, saying, “This is what we’re going to talk about.”
He then shot a doctor, grazing the physician’s arm and piercing his jacket. The doctor quickly texted colleagues to alert them and escaped from the ICU.
One injured staff member, shot in the leg, managed to escape and lock herself in a restroom.
During the crisis, the attacker called his brother, instructing him to clean out his home and give away his belongings.
Police attempted to negotiate with Archangel-Ortiz while simultaneously preparing a tactical plan involving officers using shields to enter the unit. During this response, Duarte was hit in both the shoulder and chest by gunfire.
In total, four hospital workers were hurt — the shot doctor and staff member, another person who suffered a head injury, and one with a minor wound. Alongside Duarte’s fatal injuries, two other police officers were shot and a third was wounded by shrapnel. Barker did not identify the officer who fired the fatal shotgun blast.
Authorities later recovered Archangel-Ortiz’s firearm, discovering it was not loaded.
Barker said no conclusive explanation could be found for the attack, adding, “Sometimes, there is no ‘why.’ The only thing we know for certain is that he entered that hospital that day fully intent on taking hostages and ending lives.”
The tragedy has drawn attention to increasing violence in healthcare settings and the need to better protect medical personnel. Some nurses have since shared their harrowing experiences online.
Nurse Tosha Trostle recounted on Facebook that Archangel-Ortiz used her as a human shield, zip-tying her hands behind her back and pressing a gun against her neck and spine as they walked into a hallway where police had gathered. When gunfire erupted, she dropped to the ground beneath his body and eventually escaped to safety.