St. Vincent’s adding armed guard after hospital shooting - WSFA.com: News Weather and Sports for Montgomery, AL.

St. Vincent’s adding armed guard after hospital shooting

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By Arielle Clay - bio | email
St. Vincent's Hospital officials are beefing up security after 3 people were shot and the gunman was killed at the hospital this weekend. Source: WBRC video St. Vincent's Hospital officials are beefing up security after 3 people were shot and the gunman was killed at the hospital this weekend. Source: WBRC video
The hospital will now have an armed guard on campus. Officials say it will be an off-duty police officer. Source: WBRC video The hospital will now have an armed guard on campus. Officials say it will be an off-duty police officer. Source: WBRC video
St. Vincent's officials also plan to restrict the number of entry points at the hospital. Source: WBRC video St. Vincent's officials also plan to restrict the number of entry points at the hospital. Source: WBRC video

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BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) -

Hospital officials are beefing up security at St. Vincent's Hospital after a deadly shooting happened there this weekend.

Saturday morning, two employees and a security guard were shot on the fifth floor. The gunman, identified as 38-year-old Jason Letts of Jemison, was shot and killed by a Birmingham police officer.

Sunday, there was another security scare at the hospital. The hospital called a "Code Silver" when a man requesting to see Letts' widow was told he was on a list of people not allowed to see her. The man became irate and left the hospital. Police say he was never armed.

St. Vincent's Birmingham officials say this weekend's incidents have made them take a closer look at their security.

Monday, they announced some changes they are making to the hospital's security plan.

For the first time ever, St. Vincent's will have an armed guard on campus. It will be an off-duty Birmingham police officer. The hospital also plans to increase their overall security presence by adding more security officers on campus.

The other change will be to hospital access. Right now there are 84 points of entry at St. Vincent's. Officials say there will be more restrictions to those entrances, especially after hours.

Currently the hospital does not have metal detectors, but St. Vincent's president say they are reevaluating that part of their safety plan.

"Like other hospitals in town, we have had 24/7 presence in our emergency room. Since this event, we have begun wanding folks. We don't have a metal detector installed at this point in time," St. Vincent's President Andy Davis said.

The hospital will only release limited information on the two employees who were shot Saturday, saying they are both in stable condition.

Police said today that the Birmingham officer injured in the shooting is a 30-year-old male who works at the South Precinct. He has been discharged from the hospital.

Copyright 2012 WBRC. All rights reserved.