ഹൂസ്റ്റണ്‍: ഹൂസ്റ്റണ്‍ ബെന്‍ ടോബ് ആശുപത്രിയിലെ ഫാര്‍മസി ജീവനക്കാരായ മലയാളി ഫാര്‍മസിസ്റ്റും മലയാളി ഫാര്‍മസി ടെക്കും വെടിവയ്പില്‍ കൊല്ലപ്പെട്ടതായി ഹൂസ്റ്റണ്‍ പൊലീസ് വക്താവ് ജോണ്‍ കാനന്‍ അറിയിച്ചു.
റീന അജിത് കോശി (43) വള്ളിക്കാപ്പില്‍ ജോര്‍ജ് തോമസ് (58) എന്നിവരാണു മരിച്ചത്.
റീന ഇമ്മാനുവല്‍ മാര്‍ത്തോമ്മാ ചര്‍ച്ച് അംഗമാണു.

ഒക്‌ടോബര്‍ 22 ഉച്ച കഴിഞ്ഞ് 2.30 നാണ് സംഭവം ആശുപത്രിയുടെ പ്രധാന കെട്ടിടത്തില്‍ നിന്നും മാറി മറ്റൊരു കെട്ടിടത്തില്‍ പ്രവര്‍ത്തിച്ചിരുന്ന ഫാര്‍മസിയിലാണ് ഈ അതിദാരുണ സംഭവം നടന്നത്.

58 വയസുളള മലയാളി ഫാര്‍മസി ടെക്ക് ഫാര്‍മസിയില്‍ കടന്നു വന്ന് വനിതാ ഫാര്‍മസിസ്റ്റിനെ പുറകില്‍ നിന്നും വെടിവയ്ക്കുകയായിരുന്നു. വെടിയേറ്റു നിലത്തു വീണ യുവതി 15 മിനിറ്റിനകം മരിച്ചു. വെടിവയ്പിനുശേഷം ടെക്ക് സ്വയം വെടിവെച്ചു ആത്മഹത്യ ചെയ്യുകയായിരുന്നു.

രണ്ടു പേരും ഇതേ ഫാര്‍മസിയില്‍ വളരെ വര്‍ഷങ്ങളായി ജോലി ചെയ്തു വരികയായിരുന്നു.
സംഭവത്തെപ്പറ്റിപല വിശദീകരണങ്ങളാണു പറയുന്നത്. ജോലിയിലെ പ്രശ്‌നങ്ങള്‍ ആണു ഇതിലൊന്നു. രണ്ടാളും ഫാര്‍മസിയിലാണു ജോലി ചെയ്യുന്നത് എന്നതാണു കാരണം.
കൊല്ലപ്പെട്ട യുവതിക്കു പത്തും എട്ടും വയസുള്ള രണ്ടു കുട്ടികളുണ്ട്. മാര്‍ത്തോമ്മാ സഭാംഗമാണു
വെടിവച്ചയാള്‍ക്ക് മുതിര്‍ന്ന മക്കള്‍ ഉണ്ട്.

വെടിവയ്പുണ്ടായപ്പോള്‍ മരുന്നു വാങ്ങാന്‍ നിരവധി പേര്‍ ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നുവെങ്കിലും മറ്റാര്‍ക്കും വെടിയേറ്റിട്ടില്ല എന്ന് പൊലീസ് പറഞ്ഞു.
വെടിയേറ്റു മരിച്ചവരെ കുറിച്ചുളള വിവരങ്ങള്‍ പൊലീസ് ഇതുവരെ പുറത്തു വിട്ടിട്ടില്ല. അന്വേഷണം പുരോഗമിക്കുകയാണ്.

A pharmacist and pharmacy tech at Ben Taub General Hospital are dead after an apparent murder-suicide, officials said.

Witnesses said a man shot a woman, then turned the gun on himself at about 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Houston Police Department spokesman John Cannon said. They were pronounced dead a short time later. 

The double shooting happened in the glassed-in work area at the pharmacy. There was no outburst before the shooting, officers said.

It appears the woman was at her workstation when the man walked up behind her and opened fire, police said after viewing security video.

Although the investigation was continuing, HPD homicide detectives suspect the man had made recent romantic overtures to the woman.

A few pharmacy employees, possibly seven, were also in the building when the two were shot.

Customers were in the area, but no one else was wounded.

The pharmacy was not in the main part of the hospital. It is in an attached building, accessible through a walkway.

The incident had no impact on hospital operations, Cannon said.

Late Wednesday afternoon, George V. Masi, president and CEO of the Harris Health System, issued the following statement on behalf of the hospital:

"We are all greatly saddened by a tragedy that occurred earlier today on the Ben Taub campus.

"An active shooter incident in the Ben Taub Outpatient Pharmacy resulted in what appears to have been a murder suicide.

"A full investigation by the Houston Police Department indicates there are no additional suspects beyond the perpetrator of the shooting.

"The Ben Taub campus is now safe and secure, and the hospital and clinics are open. The outpatient pharmacy remains closed until further notice.

"At this most difficult time, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the two staff who lost their lives as a result of this senseless viole

A pharmacist and pharmacy tech at Ben Taub General Hospital are dead after an apparent murder-suicide, officials said.

Witnesses said a man shot a woman, then turned the gun on himself at about 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Houston Police Department spokesman John Cannon said. They were pronounced dead a short time later. 

The double shooting happened in the glassed-in work area at the pharmacy. There was no outburst before the shooting, officers said.

It appears the woman was at her workstation when the man walked up behind her and opened fire, police said after viewing security video.

Although the investigation was continuing, HPD homicide detectives suspect the man had made recent romantic overtures to the woman.

A few pharmacy employees, possibly seven, were also in the building when the two were shot.

Customers were in the area, but no one else was wounded.

The pharmacy was not in the main part of the hospital. It is in an attached building, accessible through a walkway.

The incident had no impact on hospital operations, Cannon said.

Late Wednesday afternoon, George V. Masi, president and CEO of the Harris Health System, issued the following statement on behalf of the hospital:

"We are all greatly saddened by a tragedy that occurred earlier today on the Ben Taub campus.

"An active shooter incident in the Ben Taub Outpatient Pharmacy resulted in what appears to have been a murder suicide.

"A full investigation by the Houston Police Department indicates there are no additional suspects beyond the perpetrator of the shooting.

"The Ben Taub campus is now safe and secure, and the hospital and clinics are open. The outpatient pharmacy remains closed until further notice.

"At this most difficult time, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the two staff who lost their lives as a result of this senseless violence, as well as to every Harris Health System employee and the members of our medical staff."

HOUSTON – Two people were killed in a murder-suicide at Ben Taub Hospital Wednesday.

The shooting happened about 2:15 p.m. in the hospital's outpatient pharmacy.

Police say a pharmacist and pharmacy tech were shot behind the glass.

HPD spokesperson John Cannon said surveillance video shows the female pharmacist was at her work station when the pharmacy tech walked up and shot her from behind.

He then shot himself. He died immediately, and she died about 15 minutes later.

Witnesses said the tech appeared agitated, and then they heard multiple gunshots.

"There were at least eight shots," said a witness. "The only thing we could hear was big shots: Boom! Boom! Boom!"

About a dozen people were on the other side of the glass when the shooting happened. No one else was hurt.

The hospital was put on lockdown and patients were told to lock their doors, according to people inside the hospital. The lockdown was later lifted.

Police say the tech might have been angry because the pharmacist rejected his advances.

"Well, we're learning that only in recent days did the male make some advances or saying that he wanted to get into a relationship of some kind, asking her out, that type of thing," Cannon said.

Ben Taub released the following statement Wednesday evening:

"The Ben Taub campus is now safe and secure, and the hospital and clinics are open. The outpatient pharmacy remains closed until further notice.

At this most difficult time, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the two staff who lost their lives as a result of this senseless violence, as well as to every Harris Health System employee and the members of our medical staff."