Cardiac surgeon shot at Boston hospital dies

Published January 21, 2015One person shot at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital

A prominent cardiac surgeon at a leading Boston hospital died late Tuesday from injuries sustained when he was shot by a patient who later turned the gun on himself.
Brigham and Women's Hospital confirmed in a statement that Dr. Michael J. Davidson, 44, had succumbed to his injuries after undergoing surgery.
"Dr. Davidson was a wonderful and inspiring cardiac surgeon who devoted his career to saving lives and improving the quality of life of every patient he cared for," a statement from the hospital read, in part. "It is truly devastating that his own life was taken in this horrible manner."
Authorities say Stephen Pasceri, 55, entered Brigham and Women's Hospital sometime before 11 a.m. and specifically requested to see Dr. Davidson. Pasceri then shot the doctor twice just outside an examination room on the second floor of the Carl J. and Ruth Shapiro Cardiovascular Center before taking his own life, police said.
Boston Police Commissioner William Evans said officers conducting a room-by-room search found the gunman dead in an exam room with the weapon. Police said Pasceri wasn't a patient of the doctor's and they didn't specify a motive for the shootings.
"We're in the process of talking to witnesses, but it's leading us to believe there was something in the past that upset this guy, that made him go in and look for this particular doctor," Evans said earlier in the day.
Millbury Police Lt. Donald Desorcy helped the Boston Police Department notify Pasceri's family.
"They say they were shocked, [this was] nothing they anticipated," Desorcy told WFXT. "We've had no issues at all with the family themselves."
The station reported late Tuesday, citing multiple sources, that Davidson had treated Pasceri's mother, who had recently died.
Police and hospital officials commended the fast response by police and hospital staff, who they said had been trained to respond to an "active shooter" situation.
Evans said police were on the scene within seconds after getting the first calls of shots fired and had the area secured within 15 minutes.
Betsy Nabel, the hospital's president, said Brigham and Women's will evaluate its safety protocols. She said there have been no discussions about installing metal detectors, which none of the city's hospitals have.
Tuesday's shooting prompted a temporary lockdown at the Shapiro Center. Hospital staff were asked to remain in place and the building did not accept new patients.