Officer killed in UPMC Memorial Hospital shooting, hostage situation; multiple injured
ABC27
by: Brady Doran, George Stockburger
Posted: Feb 22, 2025 / 11:31 AM EST
Updated: Feb 22, 2025 / 04:50 PM EST
WEST MANCHESTER TOWNSHIP, Pa. (WHTM)– West York Borough Police officer Andrew Duarte died in the line of duty on Saturday after a man opened fire and took staff hostage inside the UPMC Memorial Hospital ICU in York County on Saturday.
York County District Attorney Timothy Barker confirmed that two other officers from York County and three UPMC staff members were shot and are all in stable condition. A fourth UPMC staff member was injured after falling during the incident.
SUBSCRIBE NOW
The gunman, identified as Diogenes Archangel-Ortiz, was armed with a semiautomatic handgun and was killed by police as they responded.
The incident began around 10:35 a.m. when Archangel-Ortiz entered UPMC Memorial Hospital with a bag that contained the handgun and zip ties. Barker says Archangel-Ortiz proceeded to the ICU where he held staff hostage and shot a doctor, nurse, and custodian.
UPMC officers responded and were shot at, which led to police from multiple area departments responding. As officers entered the area, Archangel-Ortiz held a staff member at gunpoint as their hands were tied with zip ties.
Officers opened fire and fatally struck Archangel-Ortiz. The suspect fatally shot Duarte in the exchange, as well as two other officers. The two officers who were injured were members of the Northern York and Springettsbury Township Police departments.
Barker says Archangel-Ortiz had previously been at the ICU with another individual and that the shooting was “targeted.” It’s not clear who he had previously been at the ICU with.
WellSpan York says they received five patients for care as a result of the shooting shortly after 11 a.m. Of the UPMC staff who were shot, one was a doctor who was grazed by a bullet.
In a statement, UPMC says no patients were injured, and the hospital is now secure. Barker noted that the incident occurred in an area where patients were being treated.
“If you are an employee of UPMC Memorial and are not scheduled to work today, please stay home,’ the hospital said in a statement Saturday afternoon. “A hotline has been established at 717-849-5338 or 717-849-5334 for families of patients seeking more information. Families of patients arriving on site should report to the parking lot of the OSS building across the street from the hospital.”
The Pennsylvania State Police Troop J Major Case Team is conducting an investigation.
Governor Josh Shapiro and Attorney General Dave Sunday responded to the scene. Shapiro says the Pennsylvania State Police and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency are on the ground and responding with local and federal partners.
Shapiro commended the officer’s response, saying “Because of their work lives were saved here today at UPMC Memorial Hospital… sadly we lost one of those heroes today.”
Shapiro added, “Officer Duarte was the best of us.”
The Governor noted that his office has been in communication with the White House regarding the situation and that mental health resources will be available for those impacted.
“Pennsylvania lost another hero today,” said Fraternal Order of Police State Lodge President Joseph Regan and York County FOP Lodge #73 President Trent Bushman. “Officer Duarte’s bravery and commitment to upholding the law are a testament to the selflessness shown daily by those who have dedicated themselves to protecting and serving. Our deepest condolences go out to his loved ones during this difficult time. We stand together with the West York Borough Police Department in honoring Officer Duarte’s sacrifice.”
UPMC Memorial, which opened in August 2019, is a 104-bed hospital with all private patient rooms. The five-story facility provides medical care, cardiology and vascular services, chronic disease management, surgical services, and treatment for patients in need of long-term acute care, per UPMC.
UPMC, headquartered in Pittsburgh, has more than 40 hospitals and 800 doctors across Pennsylvania, New York, and Maryland, according to UPMC.
Residents should avoid the area around UPMC Memorial.
This is a developing story. Stay with abc27 News as more information becomes available
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fan-favorite Yankee Candles are majorly discounted at Amazon right now. Save up to 50% while supplies last.
Through Bluetooth technology, mobile phones pair with headphones or earbuds, letting you safely talk to your loved ones while keeping your hands free.
Finding a quiet box fan can make all the difference in your focus, sleep hygiene and more while you cool off in hot weather.
SUBSCRIBE NOW
Primary Menu
Cult-favorite Yankee Candles are 50% off on Amazon …
Which earbuds are best for phone calls?
Best quiet box fan
TOP STORIES
MORE STORIES
ABC27 Video
TRENDING STORIES
Get News App
Get Weather App
Stay Connected
Shapiro orders flags at half-staff to honor officer …
Officer killed after a gunman took hostages at a …
Officer identified after UPMC Memorial shooting
Shooting at Air Force Base in New Mexico kills an …
Israel delays the release of Palestinian prisoners …
Officer killed after a gunman took hostages at a …
Shapiro orders flags at half-staff to honor officer …
Trump revels in mass federal firings and jeers at …
Trump-Putin summit preparations are underway, Russia …
Warren Buffett offers Donald Trump some advice while …
Officer identified after UPMC Memorial shooting
NY governor makes case for Manhattan tolls in meeting …
Officer killed in York Co. hospital shooting
Officer identified after UPMC Memorial shooting
Kubota recalls thousands of tractors; here’s what …
Lawmakers react to Pennsylvania hospital shooting
Shapiro orders flags at half-staff to honor officer …
Your Local News Source
Shapiro on UPMC Memorial Shooting in York
Shapiro on UPMC Memorial Shooting in York
A police officer was killed while responding to an active shooter at a York County, Pennsylvania, hospital on Saturday morning.
West York Borough Police announced Officer Andrew Duarte died in the shooting at the UPMC Memorial Hospital in West Manchester Township. The gunman is also dead, authorities say.
“Our West York Borough family is suffering a painful loss today in response to a tragic mutual aid call earlier today in West Manchester Township at UPMC,” the local police department said on social media. “Our hearts break at the innocent loss of life.”
Killed in the line of duty: Who was West York Officer Andrew Duarte?
At 10:43 a.m., police received the first 911 call of a threat to the hospital, according to Ted Czech, public information officer for the York County Office of Emergency Management/York County 911. An investigation is underway and authorities were not releasing more details yet, Czech said.
Pennsylvania State Police said troopers and local police responded to the active shooting at the hospital. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive also assisted in the investigation.
“At this time, the shooter is deceased, and there is no danger to the public,” State Police said in a news release, adding no patients were harmed.
In a statement, UPMC Memorial also said no patients were injured and the “hospital is now secure.”
On Saturday afternoon, Gov. Josh Shapiro said State Police and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency responded to the incident.
“I’ve been briefed on the tragic shooting at UPMC Memorial Hospital in York County and I am on my way to the scene,” he said. “Follow the direction of local authorities and stay clear of the area. We will share more updates as they become available.”
Prior to serving in the West York Borough Police Department, Duarte worked at the Denver Police Department, a spokesperson for the Colorado department confirmed to USA TODAY. In 2021, Duarte received an award in Colorado from Mothers Against Drunk Driving, according to a Colorado Department of Transportation announcement.
In a statement on Saturday, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday, the former York County district attorney, called Duarte’s death “truly heartbreaking.”
“My thoughts are with his family, colleagues in the department and county, and all who knew and loved him,” he said.
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Police officer killed in hospital shooting near York, Pennsylvania
Top Stories
Who was police Officer Andrew Duarte?
Recommended articles
Police officer killed, 5 others wounded after gunman holds Pennsylvania hospital staff hostage and opens fire, officials say
A police officer was killed and five other people were wounded when a man took medical staff hostage and opened fire at a York, Pennsylvania, hospital on Saturday morning, officials said.
The gunman, identified by authorities as Diogenes Archangel Ortiz, 49, was also killed, authorities said. UPMC Memorial confirmed his death in a statement on Facebook.
Two other law enforcement officers were shot by the gunman and are in stable condition, York County District Attorney Tim Barker said at an afternoon news conference.
Ortiz was holding an ICU employee hostage at gunpoint when officers engaged the suspect, Barker said.
An intensive care unit doctor, nurse and a custodian suffered gunshot wounds and a fourth employee was injured in a fall, Barker said.
“No patients have been injured. The hospital is now secure,” Susan Manko, spokesperson for UPMC Memorial in York, told CNN.
The threat has “been neutralized and an investigation is underway,” Ted Czech, a public information officer at York County’s Office of Emergency Management, told CNN.
The officer who died was Andrew Duarte, his department confirmed on Facebook.
Law enforcement officers are at the scene, Manko said, adding families of patients arriving to the hospital are being guided to the parking lot of the building across the street.
Betsy Small was visiting her mother at the hospital around 10:30 a.m. when she started to hear “strange noises, a lot of activity, and then alarms going off.”
When she looked out the window, people were running, she said, and a woman announced something about a “lockdown” over the intercom system.
“I thought, oh something’s going on in here, but you never think it’s going to be a shooting, not in a hospital,” Small, 58, told CNN.
When the alarms went off, Small said she believes her hospital room door locked. She crouched down on the floor near the window for safety, her mother fast asleep in her hospital bed throughout all the commotion.
Within minutes, three or four police cars had arrived and officers were running into the building with shields and guns, she said she saw through the hospital room window.
For the next hour or so, Small watched through the hospital door window as nurses ran back and forth on her floor while yelling at one another.
At 11:41 a.m., her daughter texted her that a shooter “had been taken out.”
As of 3 p.m., Small was not yet allowed to leave the building and said she has seen some of the nurses crying with one another in the hallway.
“I feel sad for everybody, honestly I do. It’s a sad situation,” Small said.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has been “briefed on the tragic shooting” and is on his way to the scene, he said in a statement on X.
“The hospital is now secure and members of the (Pennsylvania State Police) and (Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency) are on the ground responding alongside our local and federal partners,” Shapiro wrote.
“Follow the direction of local authorities and stay clear of the area.”
Pennsylvania state Sen. Dawn Keefer and state Rep. Seth Grove said in a joint statement they are praying for “those who were injured and for the loved ones’ coping with an unthinkable act.”
“Our hearts go out to the victims, their families and all those affected by this senseless act of violence,” Keefer and Grove said, thanking first responders “for their swift actions in securing the scene, treating the wounded and ensuring the safety of our community.”
UPMC Memorial, a 104-bed hospital, opened in August 2019 and provides emergency medical care, cardiology and vascular services, chronic disease management, and surgical services. York is located in southern Pennsylvania.
CNN’s Kia Fatahi, Sharif Paget, Taylor Galgano and Natalie Barr contributed to this report.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
© 2025 Cable News Network. A Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All Rights Reserved.
CNN Sans ™ & © 2016 Cable News Network.
