The gunman, 49-year-old Travis Frink of Warwick, RI, signed in to visit his mother on Tuesday in the fourth-floor intensive care unit of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, located in Lebanon, NH. Shortly afterward, gunfire rang out as he fatally shot 70-year-old Pamela Ferriere, of Groton, NH.

Man visits his mother in intensive care at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

New Hampshire Attorney General Gordon MacDonald said Frink had signed in at the hospital to visit his mother at approximately 1.00 p.m., leading to an active shooter alert as gunfire was heard at around 1:30 p.m.

Authorities feared a killing rampage was underway and sent dozens of state police officers and SWAT teams to the hospital. No hospital staff members or other patients were injured in the shooting incident.

As the first shots rang out in the intensive care unit of the hospital, employees and patients were evacuated for safety. Reportedly employees of the hospital were given a “code silver” warning, telling them to either leave the building or to shelter in place as police searched for the gunman. Meanwhile, Lebanon police advised local residents to avoid the hospital and its surrounds, with traffic, stopped from entering the property.

Hospital employees respond to 'code silver' alert

The Boston Herald quotes one employee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, that at first, she believed the “code silver” alert over the public address system was a drill.

However, shortly afterward she received an email to confirm the validity of the alert. She said employees immediately began barricading the hospital doors and closing the blinds.

According to other witnesses, Frink was pulled from his car as the shooter tried to flee the hospital campus, shortly before 3 p.m.

Man planned to kill his mother

MacDonald said in a press conference on Tuesday night that evidence gathered so far points to Frink’s intention on killing his mother during his visit to the hospital.

No information was given at the press conference as to the motive for the killing. However he did say they are still investigating the crime scene and that multiple shots were fired.

The Providence Journal reports that there is little information available about Frink. However, 60-year-old Thomas R. Frink, his uncle, said he had served in the Marines and is employed as a computer programmer. His uncle also said Frink was father to three boys and was engaged to be married, but said he had not met the fiancée.

After both Lebanon and Canaan officers took him into custody, Frink is now facing an arraignment on Wednesday on charges of first-degree murder.
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