Victoria Hospital to get metal detectors after shooting outside emergency room

The head of the region's largest emergency room is praising hospital staff and vowing to install metal detectors after multiple gunshots rang out and hit the outside of Victoria Hospital early Saturday morning. 

"The resiliency of staff is quite phenomenal to watch. They didn't miss a beat taking care of the patients and each other," said David Musyj, who has been running the London Health Sciences Centre since May. 

"Our staff have to take care of people who come in with gun shots wounds, but to have it at your doorstep is a different situation altogether." 

At around 2:30 a.m., a truck pulled into the Victoria Hospital ER bay, smashing into a cement pillar. A second vehicle arrived and shots rang out, said Sgt. Sandasha Bough. 

A man was admitted to hospital with bullet wounds and is being treated for non life-threatening injuries, Bough said, although it's unclear if he sustained those outside of the ER or at location about 5 km away, where police say an altercation happened between the victim and the suspect. 

"Police located evidence that a gun had been fired multiple times. The vehicle, and the outside of the building, had been struck by bullets," Bough said. 

A Code Silver was called for the hospital, which happens when an active attack is happening. Staff are told to run from the danger and hide, according to Ontario hospital guidelines. People coming into the hospital were redirected to other hospitals. Normal operations at Vic resumed at noon, Musyj said. 

Metal detectors coming

The earlier encounter between the victim and suspect happened at White Oaks and Southdale Roads, Bough said. Police are looking for dash cam footage from that location and the Victoria Hospital ER taken between 2:10 a.m. and 2:35 a.m., and are looking for the suspect's vehicle, which he fled in. It's described as a 4-door silver or grey sedan, possibly a Hyundai Sonata. 

Weapons detectors will be installed at the emergency department doors soon, Musyj said, similar to ones he installed about a year ago at Windsor Regional Hospital, where he is also CEO. 

The detectors use artificial intelligence to scan people entering the hospital for guns and knives and other weapons, he said. "They're not traditional metal detectors. You don't have to empty your pockets. Multiple people can go through at once. If something is detected, a security person will ask you to step aside." 

In Windsor, up to 16 items were being discovered a year ago when the metal detectors were installed. "Now we're down to single digits," Musyj said. "Over time, people know not to come to the ER with items like that." 

Those detectors would not have prevented the Saturday morning incident, which took place outside the building. 

"Nothing is 100 per cent fool-proof, but this reduces the risk. We have to look at the big picture." 

Police presence at all of LHSC's hospitals were being increased Saturday as an extra precaution hospital, staff said. It was also making psychological support available for staff.