Officer killed after gunman took hostages at Pennsylvania hospital

Pennsylvania hospital hostage situation ends in shootout, leaving one officer and the gunman dead.

A man armed with a pistol and carrying zip ties entered a Pennsylvania hospital's intensive care unit on Saturday (February 22, 2025) and took staff members hostage before he was killed by police in a shootout that also left an officer dead, authorities said.

Three staffers at UPMC Memorial Hospital, including a doctor, a nurse and a custodian, and two other officers were shot and wounded in the attack, York County District Attorney Tim Barker said. A fourth staff member was injured during a fall, Barker said.

Gunfire erupted after officers from several different agencies went to engage the shooter, who Mr. Barker identified as Diogenes Archangel-Ortiz, 49. He said Archangel-Ortiz was holding at gunpoint a female staff member hostage who had her hands tied with zip ties when police opened fire.

"This is a huge loss to our community," Mr. Barker said at a press conference following the shooting. "It is absolutely clear, and beyond any and all doubt, that the officers were justified in taking their action using deadly force."

The officer who died in the shooting was identified as Andrew Duarte of the West York Borough Police Department.

"We all have broken hearts and are grieving at his loss," West York Borough Manager Shawn Mauck told The Associated Press.

Mr. Duarte was a law enforcement veteran who joined the West York Borough Police Department in 2022 after five years with the Denver Police Department in Colorado, according to his LinkedIn profile. He described receiving a “hero award” in 2021 from Mothers Against Drunk Driving for his work in impaired driving enforcement for the state of Colorado.