The lockdown was put into place around 10:30 a.m.; it was lifted at around 5:30 p.m.
At a food truck, The Neighborhood Scoop, parked across the street, with a direct view of the hospital, Alfonoso Clarke was surprised to learn the entire hospital was on lock down, also disappointed to hear about the threat of violence in the community.
“People that come through and just, make a mess–we don’t have that,” explained Clarke. “Bad things are happening all around. I don’t know why it keeps happening n the east end, we’re building–making things better, but you always have that person that just wants to make corruption.”
As they were leaving the hospital Wednesday afternoon, NBC 12 spoke to someone who was inside of the hospital as the situation unfolded. They said as soon as the shooting threat came in, they noticed increased security at the entrance of the hospital as well as throughout the facility.
[sep]
Original story
RICHMOND, Va. — Bon Secours Richmond Community Hospital was placed on lockdown Wednesday morning due to a “viable threat of a possible future shooting on the campus.” The hospital is located on North 28th Street, near Nine Mile Road, in Richmond.
“By placing the hospital on lockdown, the safety of the patients, medical staff and essential personnel has been secured,” a hospital spokesperson said. “All visitors, hospital volunteers and non-essential personnel have safely left the campus until further notice.
8 comments
Holy crap.
I live catty corner from the hospital, and just got home from work. I wondered why there were so many police vehicles and a news van outside.
Yikes!
What’s going on???
They shouldn’t have waited three HOURS to alert the media about this. My daughter’s daycare is only a few blocks away and if there is a viable threat of an active shooter in the area, then that information should be made more widely available to the surrounding neighbors and businesses. I didn’t see this notice until 2:30 (4 hours after the initial lockdown) and immediately called the daycare who immediately implemented their own emergency protocols. Next time, I hope Bon Secours will be a better neighbor and communicate this to the neighborhood IMMEDIATELY.
Do you think this should have been on the part of RPD? Were it me I’d have freaked out too (!!) but I am wondering what’s the protocol here? Is there one?
I don’t think protocol like this would fall on a private business. They would alert authorities and then RPD or appropriate government entity would alert local businesses and residents if they felt there was a relevant threat to evacuate them.
Whoever waited 4 hours to alert the media failed the community. People didn’t need to be evacuated from their own homes. We’re not talking about a gas leak. However, the community should have been made aware that going outside near the hospital wasn’t safe.