Two women, a police officer and gunman killed in shooting at US hospital

Washington DC., Nov 19 (efe-epa) .- A shooting on Monday at a hospital in Chicago, USA, left two women, a police officer and the alleged attacker dead, according to the Chicago Police Superintendent, Eddie T. Johnson in a press conference.

The incident began with an argument between the attacker and his partner in the Mercy Hospital parking lot at around 3.30 pm (2130 GMT) and then moved into the building.

The alleged attacker first killed his partner in the parking lot, and in the hospital killed a woman who came out of an elevator as well as a police officer. It is unclear whether the attacker committed suicide or was killed by police.

“During the exchange of gunfire, a female staff member was struck by gunfire,” and “during that exchange, one of our officers was also fatally wounded by the offender,” Johnson said.

The argument in the parking lot could have been about a broken engagement, according to The Chicago Tribune newspaper.

Police identified the dead officer as Samuel Jimenez, 28, while media reported that the woman killed in the parking lot was a doctor in the emergency room and the other was a pharmaceutical assistant.