Witnesses describe scary moments inside Wilmington Hospital following deadly double shooting
WILMINGTON, Del. (WPVI) -- Instant fear was felt throughout Wilmington Hospital on Tuesday when staff, patients, and visitors received an active shooter alert.
RELATED: 1 dead after shooting at Wilmington Hospital in Delaware; suspect taken into custody in Philadelphia
"I was in the emergency room. You can hear the shots go off," said patient guide Brian Pfeffer.
Law enforcement tells ABC News an employee shot two other employees, killing one.
A flood of officers, state troopers, and firefighters responded to the hospital on West 14th Street in Wilmington, Delaware, around 3:30 p.m.
Sharon Younghans of Dover, Delaware, was visiting her mother in hospice.
"I heard sirens and helicopters, and I see SWAT, and of course can't get back in," she said.
The hospital went on lockdown for about four hours as the SWAT team searched for the suspect.
"There was Wilmington police that had run in, and they were going down the hallway, and then a couple minutes later, it felt like 50 cops with AR-15s," said Jake Zebley of Fishtown, Philadelphia.
All patients and visitors were told to shelter in place in the nearest room.
"All these cops were coming in, and they said get out of here, get in the bathroom, and they put all of us in the bathroom, including all the medical workers," said L'Tanya Billups of Upper Chichester, Pennsylvania. "I just started praying, I said, Lord protect us."
Once police secured the scene, they escorted employees out in groups. Chopper 6 was overhead, where many of them could be seen walking out with their hands up.
"My prayers are out with everyone. It's pretty scary," said Pfeffer.
As the evening shift began, several employees waited near the main entrance until the police finished their investigation.
Loved ones were also nearby, sobbing and consoling one another.
"It's a real problem in America right now," said Pfeffer. "Somebody needs to do something. This is unacceptable."
