The man who fatally shot two hospital employees in a Dallas Medical Center, and was charged with first-degree murder, was on parole at the time of the incident. According to a Texas prison official, the man was granted permission to be at the hospital to witness the birth of his baby.
Nestor Oswaldo Hernandez, 30, had been permitted to be with the mother of his new baby at the Methodist Dallas Medical Center, where she was expected to deliver on Saturday.
Amanda Hernandez, a Texas Department of Criminal Justice Spokesperson, said Nestor Hernandez had been in prison serving a sentence of aggravated robbery, and he was released on October 20, 2021, on parole under electronic monitoring.
Authorities said Hernandez opened fire at the medical facility on Saturday at around 11 am, killing two of the hospital’s staff members before being stopped by one of the hospital’s security officers, who shot and injured him.
Police did not identify the two victims. Hernandez was taken to another hospital for treatment after the incident. According to authorities, the shooting happened near the hospital’s labor and delivery unit.
According to an arrest warrant that was revealed by Dallas media station WFAA, the alleged shooter got agitated in the hospital room and accused his girlfriend of cheating. He searched the hospital room to see if there was another man there. He pulled out a gun and hit his girlfriend with it and threatened her. He texted and called family, saying he was going to kill himself and his girlfriend. He also said he would kill anyone who came into the room.
As he promised, he fatally shot the first victim who entered the hospital room. The second victim and a security officer at the hospital in the hallway heard the gunfire and entered the hospital room. The second victim was then fatally shot by Hernandez. The hospital security officer shot Hernandez in the leg.
The Methodist Dallas Medical Center issued a statement saying they were heartbroken by the loss of two of their team members, adding that the entire organization was grieving the unbelievable tragedy.
Dallas Police Chief, Eddie Garcia, condemned the justice system for allowing the murderer to walk the streets and obtain a firearm. In his statement, Chief Garcia said he was outraged at the lack of accountability and that the broken justice system gives convicted felons more chances than victims.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Texas Nurses Association, Dr. Teresa Bumpus, said the shooting incident was “unacceptable.” She said that no one, and especially healthcare workers, who are committed to bringing healing to people, should go to work fearing for their life. She urged legislators to do more to protect the lives of healthcare workers.
Dr. Bumpus released statistics from the US Labor Statistics Bureau showing that workplace violence has increased since the pandemic began and that nurses were three times more at risk than all other professionals.
According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Spokesperson, the state’s prison system office of the Inspector General is doing everything in its power and working with the local authorities to investigate the fatal incident.
Both Dallas Police and the hospital declined to provide additional information on the shooting.
Hospital shootings have increased this year, as one visitor was left dead in a September hospital shooting in Little Rock, Arkansas.
In June, another gunman opened fire in a hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma, killing four people, including two doctors, a staffer, and a patient. The gunman then killed himself after committing the atrocious act.