Four killed, including gunman and police officer, in shooting at Chicago hospital

General view of Mercy Hospital, located at 2525 Michigan Avenue, in Chicago. PHOTO: GOOGLE MAPS

CHICAGO (REUTERS) - A gunman shot to death a doctor outside a Chicago hospital on Monday (Nov 19) before bursting into the facility and killing a woman and a police officer during an exchange of gunfire and dying in the shooting, officials said.

The shooter knew the doctor he shot outside Mercy Hospital, but once inside he fired randomly at people, Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said at a news conference.

The shooting sent doctors and patients streaming out of the facility, some with their hands up as heavily armed police officers sought to secure the facility.

"The city of Chicago lost a doctor, a pharmaceutical assistant and a police officer, all going about their day, all doing what they love," Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel told reporters. "This tears at the soul of our city. It is the face and consequence of evil," Emanuel said.

The police officer, Samuel Jimenez, died in an exchange of fire with the gunman after he entered the medical facility, Johnson said.

The gunman, whose name has not been released, also died, officials said.

But it was not immediately clear if he shot himself or if he was struck by a police officer's bullet, Johnson said.

Another officer was spared injury when a bullet lodged itself in his holster, Johnson said.

In Denver, another shooting left one person dead and three others wounded on Monday. At least one suspect remained at large after the shooting on a downtown street corner.

No further official details were immediately available about the incident, which erupted about 4pm local time in the lower-downtown area of Denver known as Lo Do, a district of the Colorado capital filled with hotels, restaurants and high-rise residential lofts.

Denver police spokesman Doug Schepman told reporters that four people were confirmed shot, with one of the victims pronounced dead at the scene, and that no suspects were immediately arrested.

"We don't know right now whether there was one shooter or more than one," he said, adding that investigators had yet to determine what may have precipitated the gunfire and whether the assailant or assailants knew any of the victims.

"It's too early to say what happened and why," he told reporters. "To have multiple gunshots fired in an area like this is quite concerning."

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