A Chicago police officer, emergency room doctor, and pharmacy technician were killed on Nov. 19 when a gunman opened fire at Mercy Hospital & Medical Center.
A Chicago police officer, emergency room doctor, and pharmacy technician were killed on Nov. 19 when a gunman opened fire at Mercy Hospital & Medical Center.
Chicago “lost a doctor, pharmaceutical assistant, and a police officer, all going about their day, all doing what they loved,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel said at a press conference Tuesday, fighting back tears. “This just tears at the soul of our city. It is the face and a consequence of evil.”
The attacker, 32-year-old Juan Lopez, also died Monday but it was not clear if he took his own life or was killed by police.
Chicago’s Superintendent of Police Eddie Johnson told a press conference Monday, “There is no doubt in my mind that all those officers that responded were heroes.”
“Those officers that responded today saved a lot of lives,” said Johnson. “They were heroes because we just don’t know how much damage (the shooter) was prepared to do.”
This s what is known about the victims:
Dr. Tamara O’Neal, 38, was the first person shot and killed in Monday’s deadly rampage. She was a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Medicine, and a two-year resident atMercy Hospital & Medical Center.
Authorities said the shooting began as a “domestic dispute” between the gunman and O’Neal in the hospital parking lot.
Superintendent Jackson said that O’Neal, an emergency room doctor, had broken off an engagement with the suspect several months ago.
The Chicago Tribune reported hospital officials as saying that O’Neal was deeply religious and regularly attended church, where she headed up the choir.
“That was her one thing she wanted… to be able to go to church on Sunday,” Emergency Department director Patrick Connor said at a news conference.
Some of the victim’s work colleagues paid tribute to her on Twitter.
“I knew her, trained with her, saved lives with her and tonight, tried to save her life,” Dr. John Purakal wrote. “Tonight, I broke down in front of my coworkers when we lost her, and tonight I held hands with her mother in prayer. Tonight, we lost a beautiful, resilient, passionate doc. Keep singing, TO.”
The Chicago Tribune reported police sources and witnesses as saying that the gunman hit O’Neal with multiple rounds, standing over her as he fired the last shots.
“Today, we mourn Chicago Police Officer Samuel Jimenez,” the Chicago Police wrote in a tribute posted on Twitter. “His heroic actions saved countless lives. He ran towards danger. He ran toward those shots. He ran into fire. Selflessly.”
Officer Jimenez was a married father of three. He had been with the force less than two years.
Sgt. Larry Snelling, who works at the Chicago police academy, recalled Jimenez as a “stellar recruit” who was “on top of his game,” according to the Chicago Tribune.
“He was one of the guys we didn’t have to worry about at all,” Snelling said. “Just a great kid.”
Superintendent Johnson said Jimenez was not obliged to respond to the call because it was outside his district, and that by confronting the gunman the young officer acted courageously and selflessly.
“When they pulled up, they heard the gunshots, and they did what heroic officers always do — they ran toward that gunfire,” Johnson said, according to the Chicago Tribune. “So they weren’t assigned to that particular call, but they went because that’s what we do.”
“He was the real police. He wasn’t in it just for the paycheck,” an officer who worked with him told the Chicago Sun-Times.
Dayna Less, 25, was shot and killed during Monday’s tragic shooting as she exited an elevator at Mercy Hospital, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The first-year pharmacy resident, who graduated from Purdue University earlier this year, had been working at the hospital since July, the newspaper reported.
A Twitter user who said she was a close friend of Less, posted a tribute.
“I was a close friend of Dayna Less,” she wrote. “One of her and her family’s favorite things together was celebrating their love for the Cubbies. ♥️ Please pray for her Mother, Father, and Fiancé during this horrific time.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
