VA Hospital Will Discuss Metal Detectors After Gunman Walks In, Takes Hostage

DENVER (CBS4) - A man is being held at the Denver VA Medical Center after he held a nurse hostage there Wednesday morning.

According to police, the man walked right in the front door with a gun at approximately 8:20 a.m. There are no metal detectors at the hospital.

Denver police responded quickly, but by the time they arrived, VA police had already resolved the incident.

"The patient did have a weapon, the weapon was loaded," said VA Medical Center acting Director Corey Ramsey.

Ramsey says the VA police resolved the situation on the eighth floor about 10 minutes after it began with the unnamed patient holding a gun on a female nurse.

"This was a patient who had an appointment in that clinic this morning," Ramsey said.

Ramsey issued the order to lockdown the hospital when staff notified supervisors about the gunman.

"It was a very active situation and events were unfolding, very, very quickly," he said.

He also noted recent shootings have kept everyone at the hospital on their toes.

"Not just this situation, but the situation around the country and what has occurred in Colorado Springs has everyone on alert right now," Ramsey said. "We're not excluded in that … in that aspect."

Ramsey told CBS4's Howard Nathan installing metal detectors will be a topic of discussion.

At last word the gunman was subdued and being held on the second floor of the hospital. Hospital privacy laws are keeping the VA from releasing his name.

The VA said the nurse who was held hostage is doing well.