Paul Warren Pardus, Alleged Gunman at Johns Hopkins Hospital: Murder / Suicide

The alleged gunman at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland, Paul Warren Pardus, is dead via suicide. He also allegedly murdered his mother, who was a patient in the hospital, and shot surgeon David B. Cohen in the stomach.

The Johns Hopkins Hospital has now announced that "The situation is resolved," according to CNN. The shootings occurred on the eighth floor of the Nelson Building at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. This floor handles thoracic issues and also orthopedics, trauma and spinal injuries.

Paul Warren Pardus' alleged behavior is quite shocking. Why did he bring a gun into the hospital? Was this shooting premeditated or did Paul Warren Pardus always carry around a gun?

Doctor Shot at Johns Hopkins Hospital Expected to Live

Dr. David B. Cohen, an orthopedic surgeon, is expected to survive this shooting. He was was shot in the stomach and had surgery. He is a faculty physician at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Johns Hopkins Hospital has over 1,700 physicians on staff. Thus Dr. Cohen will have lots of support from colleagues and indeed from the world at large too.

Violence at Johns Hopkins Hospital

Dr. Cohen surely never expected to be shot while at work. No one arrives at work thinking that a tragedy will occur there that day. What a tragedy that a doctor was injured while on the job.

A surgeon has such extreme training to begin a career. To see that high-level a professional gunned down while working is truly mind boggling. Violence in America is out of control.

There must have been a lot of chaos on the floor of the hospital when the shooting occurred. A gunman on the loose is a very alarming scenario. And lately it has been happening far too often.

A Doctor Under Fire

Best wishes to Dr. Cohen as he recovers from surgery. He will probably be quite different after this experience. Perhaps someday much later he will write a book about the experience and how his life was impacted by violence at work.

Let's hope this type of incident never occurs again. All surgeons are heroes. They take human life in their hands every day. To be a surgeon requires nerves of steel and a strong intellect. Those skills will serve this Dr. Cohen well during his recovery.

Sources:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/16/john-hopkins-hospital-sho_n_719435.html

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/doctor_shot_at_johns_hopkins_hospital_GPndjpBc0IR2CN7sb5z7OP

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/09/16/maryland.hospital.shooting/index.html?hpt=T1&iref=BN1

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/16/AR2010091603108.html?hpid=topnews

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/16/shooting-reported-at-johns-hopkins-hospital/