A police officer, a doctor and a pharmacy technician were shot to death Monday at Chicago’s Mercy Hospital, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. The suspected gunman was also killed, though it was not known if he was killed by police or took his own life. Officer Samuel Jimenez, who joined the police department less than two years ago, was the second police officer to be killed in the line of duty in 2018. The doctor was identified as Tamara O’Neal, 38, an emergency medicine physician. The shooter was identified as Juan Lopez, 32. “This tears at the soul of our city,” said a visibly grief-stricken Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
Jimenez, 28, is survived by his wife and three children. “He was the real police. He wasn’t in it just for the paycheck,” said a fellow officer. The shooting took place less than a mile from where former President Barack Obama was taking part in an Obama Foundation Summit. Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said the shooter was in an argument with a woman he was in a relationship with. A friend of the woman was also there, and the gunman lifted his shirt and displayed a handgun, Johnson said. The friend ran into the hospital and, moments later, the man shot the woman. As police arrived, the gunman opened fire on the officers. He then ran into the hospital as officers gave chase. James Gray, who was inside the hospital, said he first saw the shooter talking to a woman outside. They appeared to know each other and were having a normal conversation. A few moments later, the man shot the woman repeatedly. After she fell, he continued to shoot. “I thought it was unbelievable. It’s like a movie scene,” Gray said.