Sat Feb 22 22:33:45 UTC 2025: ## Pennsylvania Hospital Hostage Situation Ends in Deadly Shootout
**York, PA –** A gunman armed with a pistol and zip ties took staff hostage at UPMC Memorial Hospital in York, Pennsylvania on Saturday, February 22, 2025, resulting in a deadly shootout with police. The incident left one police officer dead and several others injured.
According to York County District Attorney Tim Barker, the shooter, identified as 49-year-old Diogenes Archangel-Ortiz, held a female staff member hostage at gunpoint. Three hospital staff members – a doctor, a nurse, and a custodian – were shot and wounded, along with two police officers. A fourth staff member suffered injuries from a fall during the incident.
The shootout ensued when officers from multiple agencies engaged the shooter. Archangel-Ortiz was killed in the exchange of gunfire. District Attorney Barker stated that the officers’ use of deadly force was justified.
The deceased officer, Andrew Duarte of the West York Borough Police Department, was a veteran law enforcement officer with prior service in the Denver Police Department. He had received a “hero award” in 2021 for his work in impaired driving enforcement.
UPMC Memorial Hospital, a 104-bed facility, opened in 2019. The incident is the latest in a string of gun violence targeting U.S. hospitals and medical centers in recent years, highlighting the growing threat to healthcare workers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified healthcare as one of the nation’s most violent fields. Similar incidents, including fatal shootings at hospitals in New Hampshire, Dallas, Atlanta, and Tulsa, have occurred in recent years.
The tragedy has left the community mourning the loss of Officer Duarte and grappling with the escalating issue of gun violence in healthcare settings.
First Piper 