Thanks to his concealed firearm, a Pennsylvania doctor is being called a hero after shooting a gunman who shot three people at Mercy Hospital in Darby, Pennsylvania.
Despite the hospitals strict “gun free zone” policy, Dr. Lee Silverman kept a gun in his desk. When shots rang out in Silverman’s office, just after 2:00PM Tuesday, he crouched behind his desk to avoid being hit by patient Richard Plotts.
Silverman, who knew the patient, then shot at Plotts. Plotts returned fire, grazing Silverman’s head but not seriously wounding him. Silverman and a caseworker would eventually wrestle Plotts to the ground and secure his weapon.
In a press conference following the incident, the local police chief spoke of Silverman’s bravery.
“Without a doubt, I believe the doctor saved lives,” Police Chief Donald Molineux said.
“Without that firearm, this guy (the patient) could have went out in the hallway and just walked down the offices until he ran out of ammunition.”
Before the hospital shootout began, Plotts killed Theresa Hunt, a caseworker who was accompanying him to any appointment with Dr. Silverman.