MEDICAL LAKE, Wash. — The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services released a statement on the shooting death of an employee at Eastern State Hospital overnight.
According to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, a man shot and killed an Eastern State Hospital employee in the parking lot early Saturday morning following a crime spree in the area. A Sheriff’s Office deputy then fired shots toward the suspect. The suspect was found dead near his vehicle.
You can read the full statement from DSHS on the employee’s death below:
Our hearts are heavy today as we grieve the violent and tragic loss of one of our employees at Eastern State Hospital. We send our heartfelt support to the victim’s loved ones and to our dedicated employees and patients who are affected by this loss.The lockdown at Eastern State Hospital campus is lifted. All patients and other employees are accounted for. We are working closely with local law enforcement and Gov. Ferguson’s office in response to this incident. We appreciate their quick response and their continued presence and support. Please look for updates on the incident from Spokane County Sheriff’s Office. When DSHS and Eastern State Hospital have additional updates, you can find them on our website.
Governor Bob Ferguson also issued a statement saying his office is working with ESH to provide it the support it needs. His whole statement can be seen below:
Thankful for the quick actions of law enforcement and the staff at Eastern State Hospital to protect patients and employees. I’m meeting with the team as we learn more about what happened. My condolences to the victim and their family, and my heart goes out to the staff. We’re working to ensure our hardworking team at Eastern State has the support that they need.
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