Police truck emergency tape on the road in front of #LawrenceHospital in #Bronxville Sunday night after reports of a gunman inside the hospital. @lohud
There were reports of a possible active shooter or person with a shotgun at New York Presbyterian Lawrence Hospital in Bronxville. However, authorities now say that no gunman or victims were found. There was a massive law enforcement presence at the scene as authorities searched the hospital.
NBC New York reported, through sources, that authorities have not found evidence of an actual gunman and are reviewing security footage to be sure.
Bronxville police later confirmed that account. They said, according to News12WC: “There was nobody on the 6th floor armed with a weapon. The Hospital is safe, we conducted primary search immediately receiving the call.” It was not clear why the confusion originated in the first place.
However, the chief said there was “no safer place in the county than Lawrence hospital. We train for this every day,” and added that it was not a swatting incident. News12WC reported that patients had thought they saw a person with a gun.
At this point there are no victims, no gunman and they are running the playbook, searching the building, looking at surveillance, etc. First responders clearing out at New York Presbyterian Lawrence Hospital in Bronxville, NY.
The reports led to a frantic, frightening hour, though, as information was scant, and police from multiple agencies, including SWAT teams, descended on the large hospital, blocking entrances and closing roads. One witness reported seeing hospital staff rushing behind locked doors after an incident on the 6th floor, which is a maternity floor. Pix11 reported that the station has only confirmed from police that it was an “active scene with a lot of police presence.” The scene was described as large, with many investigators, and the first active shooter reports broke out around 9 p.m.
Other reports say authorities were alerted to a possible person with a shotgun in the hospital.
“…Lawrence hospital goes into ‘active shooter mode’ after sources tell me a man with a shotgun walks inside. Told no one hurt … crews racing to scene,” Tara Rosenblum, a reporter for News12, reported on Twitter. The New York Post also reported that the active shooter claims involve a possible man with a shotgun who might be on the 6th floor.
The hospital released a statement on Twitter that read: “We are continuing to gather details about tonight’s developments and will provide an update when we can. Please do not come to the hospital tonight unless it is an emergency. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers for our staff, patients and law enforcement.”
According to the Post, the hospital was being evacuated of those able to leave and a room-to-room search was being conducted by law enforcement. Reporters were live from the scene, but they weren’t getting much information from law enforcement yet.
Every entrance to Lawrence Hospital in Bronxville looks just like this, backed up for blocks with local, county and state police even some armored vehicles. We are working to confirm preliminary and unconfirmed reports of a man with a gun. #WaleLive @NBCNewYork at 11 with more
Richard Giacovas, a reporter for News12WC, wrote on Twitter, “Reports of a man with a gun at #LawrenceHospital in Bronxville. We have a crew headed to scene.” ABC7 reported that numerous police departments had responded to the hospital in Westchester.
#BREAKING: Reports of a man with a gun at #LawrenceHospital in Bronxville. We have a crew headed to scene. @News12WC
SWAT team movement was seen near the hospital’s emergency room.
SWAT movement around the emergency entrance of the NY Presbyterian Lawrence Hospital In Bronxvilld @lohud
Journalist Amanda Brilhante said there were “reports of a man with a gun inside New York-Presbyterian Lawrence Hospital. Officers are on scene and searching the building.”
On scene in Bronxville. Absolutely massive police and emergency response. @lohud
ABC7 reporter CeFaan Kim wrote on Twitter, “Massive police response at New York Presbyterian Lawrence Hospital in Bronxville, NY. K9s, SWAT, officers with robots being deployed. Media being moved blocks away.”
Lohud.com reported that police were responding to active shooter reports at the hospital.
Police surround #LawrenceHospital in Bronxville while they search inside the hospital andvthe perimeter for an active shooter.
Here’s what you need to know:
One Witness Described Running Out of the Hospital
Breaking: Large police presence at New York Presbyterian Lawrence Hospital right now. Waiting to speak with police about what’s going on @News12WC
Video showed that police had blocked the entrance to the hospital, although they had yet to explain what was happening.
Front view of New York Presbyterian Lawrence Hospital in Bronxville, NY right now.
According to Lohud.com, an employee at the hospital said: “I heard a code silver on the loudspeaker and I just ran out. I got out of there, nobody seemed to really take it serious, but I got out of there.” A code silver means a report of a weapon, the news site reported.
Another, Keron Noel, whose family is at the hospital, also reported that a “code silver” came across the loudspeaker. He described in the below video how hospital staff then “went behind locked doors” while people were in the waiting room. He said the cops started “piling in,” and people were told “there was an incident on the 6th floor.” However, more details weren’t given.
Keron Noel, who has family in his hospital, was in the lobby when he heard a “code silver” alert come over the loudspeakers.
“One second it was nothing, and then it was like 30 cops just swarmed in. It was like a movie scene,” said Seth Levin, a restaurant manager, to The New York Daily News. The restaurant’s customers and employees were told by police to remain inside, the newspaper reported.
Although reports of an active shooter remained unconfirmed, word spread quickly on Twitter. “God Bless everybody at Lawrence Hospital right now and I pray everybody is safe,” wrote one man on social media.
Praying for everyone at Lawrence Hospital
Numerous videos documented the massive law enforcement response at the hospital.
This story is being updated as more information is learned about the active shooter reports.