Married young father of 3 killed in a shooting at Mercy Hospital in Chicago
This week ended with a tragedy when a shooter killed 3 people at Mercy Hospital on the Near South Side of Chicago. Among victims were a doctor, a pharmaceutical assistant, and a police officer.
The gunman was also found dead. On Tuesday, flags outside a Chicago police station were lowered to half-staff in honor of the police officer who was killed.
On Monday, Officer Samuel Jimenez, 28, ran into the line of fire to save innocent bystanders who worked at Mercy Hospital in Chicago. He worked at the city's 2nd Police District since he joined in February 2017.
He was a husband and the father of three young children. After the shooting on Monday night, officers stood at attention as an ambulance carrying his body passed in a procession to the medical examiner's office.
It’s with a heavy heart we send our condolences to the family, friends and coworkers of @chicago_police Officer Samuel Jimenez. Sam was shot and killed today while protecting the people of Chicago. We stand shoulder to shoulder with them during these difficult times #NeverForget pic.twitter.com/VPHmCM4L5F
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) November 20, 2018
For more on this story go to our Twitter account @amomama_usa. Jimenez died in the lobby of the hospital after responding to shots being fired while he and his partner were on their way to a different call.
On Monday night, officers stood at attention as an ambulance carrying his body passed in a procession to the medical examiner's office.
The police call to the hospital happened at around 3:30 p.m. Juan Lopez, 32, the gunman, was said to have confronted his ex-fiancée, emergency room doctor Tamara O'Neal.
Hero Down: Chicago PD Officer Samuel Jimenez Murdered By Active Shooter#BlueLivesMatter #BackTheBlue
— Blue Lives Matter (@bluelivesmtr) November 20, 2018
Full Story https://t.co/gu9rCnlroM pic.twitter.com/yPypYh3lnV
O’Neal had called off their engagement in September. After getting into an argument, Lopez shot and killed his ex in the parking lot and then ran into the hospital.
Inside he shot and killed Dayna Less, 25, a pharmacy resident who was coming off of an elevator. The gunman exchanged gunfire with Jimenez and other officers as he ran into the hospital.
NEW: The slain officer has been identified by the Chicago Police Department as Ofc. Samuel Jimenez.
— ABC News (@ABC) November 20, 2018
Jimenez "saved a lot of lives," said CPD Superintendent Eddie Johnson. https://t.co/JnDrBZjQ7G pic.twitter.com/c7DRTqYPHu
The Jimenez was shot in the lobby and a second officer was also shot at but the bullet hit his holster. Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson addressed the media during a news conference.
Today, we mourn Chicago Police Officer Samuel Jimenez. His heroic actions saved countless lives. He ran toward danger. He ran toward those shots. He ran into fire. Selflessly.
— Chicago Police (@Chicago_Police) November 20, 2018
Samuel Jimenez: altruism personified. #OfficerDown #NeverForget pic.twitter.com/7IDW4sJr6v
He said:
"Those officers who responded today saved a lot of lives because this guy was shooting that poor woman who had got off an elevator. Had nothing to do with nothing and he shot her. There's no doubt in my mind that all those officers who responded saved a lot of lives because we just don't know how much damage he was prepared to do.”
Lopez was found inside the hospital with a gunshot wound to the head. Police are still investigating how he was shot and killed.
Saddened by the death of such a young officer, a very heartbreaking incident in which he was just doing his job!🙏😭😭
— 😎 𝓚𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓷 𝓖. (@KMGFromChicago) November 20, 2018
The Chicago Police Memorial Foundation shared that they were going to present Jimenez's family with a check for $60,000 to help with expenses. The foundation also promised to care of any education-related expenses for his children.
Fellow officers salute as the body of Chicago policeman Samuel Jimenez, slain in the shooting at Mercy Hospital, is escorted to the Medical Examiner Office pic.twitter.com/kqpinARs9G
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) November 20, 2018
Less was described as a first-year pharmacy resident doing her clinical rotations at the hospital. She was planning to go home to Indiana on Tuesday to be with her family for Thanksgiving.
The pharmacy worker was also engaged to be married next summer. O'Neal was an emergency room physician at who was engaged to Lopez for about a year before calling off the wedding.
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