Devendra Kumar
A chilling incident unfolded in the early hours of the morning at a hospital in Idaho, as a gunman staged a brazen attack to free a convicted prisoner from custody. The violence unfolded at Saint Alphonsus hospital, where prison officers had taken inmate Skylar Meade for medical treatment at 2:15 am. As they prepared to return Meade to the jail, an unknown suspect emerged from the shadows and opened fire, striking two corrections officers. The Boise police department responded swiftly to the incident, and one officer fired at an armed individual near the entrance, only to discover later that the person was a correctional officer. Meade and the gunman fled the scene in a grey four-door sedan, possibly a Honda Civic, with Idaho plates.
The victims of the attack include one officer who is in a critical but stable condition, another with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, and a third who was not seriously injured, although mistakenly shot by arriving police. The Boise police chief, Ron Winegar, described the incident as “brazen, violent, and apparently coordinated,” and emphasized that the attack was a calculated effort to facilitate the escape of a dangerous inmate.
The attack has sparked concerns about the growing threat of gun violence at hospitals and medical centers. Saint Alphonsus hospital spokesperson Leticia Ramirez assured the public that all patients and staff are safe, and the campus has resumed normal operations, albeit with increased security measures in place. “As an added precaution, we have increased security on campus, and all entrances to the hospital will be closed until further notice,” Ramirez said.
The Idaho Department of Corrections is left to grapple with the consequences of this brazen attack. The investigation is ongoing, and the police are searching for the suspects. The public remains on high alert, and the incident serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing threat of gun violence and the need for increased security measures in hospitals and medical centers. The attack also raises questions about the safety and security of our medical facilities and how we can better protect patients and staff from such brazen and violent attacks.