Elderly man kills wife, self in Pa. hospice unit

Updated 9:43 PM ET

An elderly man who shot and killed his 83-year-old wife in an eastern Pennsylvania hospice unit Tuesday, then committed suicide, had apparently decided he couldn't live without her, authorities said.

The shooting happened at about 1 p.m. at the Lehigh Valley Hospital campus in Allentown, reports CBS affiliate KYW in Philadelphia.

When staff members entered the room where the shots were fired, they found Mildred Osman dead in her bed, along with the body of 86-year-old Elwood Osman, said Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin.

The shooting "preliminarily appears to be a murder-suicide," Martin said. The Lehigh County coroner's office said autopsies on both are scheduled for Wednesday.

James Geiger, senior vice president of the hospital, was asked at a news conference if Mildred Osman's shooting death appeared to be a "mercy killing."

"It's a love story," Geiger responded. "The elderly gentleman could not bear to see his wife suffering, and the family, I believe, have observed that he just could not envision living without her." He said he didn't know of any note left behind.

No other patients or staff members were harmed or threatened, and the hospital wasn't evacuated, officials said.

"This is a very tragic event and our hearts go out to the family of the deceased and our Lehigh Valley Health Network colleagues who were involved," said Chuck Lewis, the hospital's senior vice president of external affairs.

No one witnessed the shooting, and the man gave hospital staff no indication that he was about to harm his wife, who had entered hospice more than a week ago, said police Capt. Glen Dorney.

"The first thing that drew their attention was the sound of the gunshot," he said. "They heard a second gunshot and came to investigate."

Like most hospitals, Lehigh Valley Hospital doesn't use metal detectors to screen visitors, though wands are used when hospital security has reason to believe a patient has a weapon, Geiger said.

[Cbailey5150]

Grief can make us do things we could never imagine doing. Until we are allowed to live and die with dignity,there will be families burdened with a violent end of life instead of peacefully leaving this world.

[endrepubs]

If these folks had been allowed assisted suicide, this never would have happened. Shame on America for denying the elderly and terminally sick a less messy alternative. We treat our dogs with more respect.

[alaskan_sol]

This is where the right to die should be allowed. They both have lived long, full lives, and didn't want to live anymore. They could have brought the family in to say their good byes and held each others their hands as they passed into the Ether. Instead, You have Family members stunned and saddened. And don't forget the other Residents in hospice and the Nurses. A scene like that doesn't ever leave you.

[RobGib]

Therefore say I, eat, drink and be merry! My father lived to be 86 and suddenly died from heart attack in the parking lot of a store he was visiting. I could not have been more happy for him. He was always preaching to me that he did not want to end up in a nursing home or to be laying in a hospital bed suffering. My grandmother lay in vegetative state for years and all memories erased from Alzheimer disease, what a waste of everything dignified for such a great woman. The nursing home keeping her alive and for what?
I seriously question all this healthy stuff that we are supposed to follow because it's good for us. I want to die like my father. The man in this story was right emotionally but wrong spiritually, many God for give him. So I say to you all eat, drink and be merry and die quickly when your supposed to.

[rightontarget]

"The nursing home keeping her alive and for what?"
**************************************

Why for the money of course!!!

[rwsmith29456]

What was the alternative? Have her suffer and him by himself pining away? I'm not saying it's a good thing, but maybe for some people it's the best way out when there are no good choices.

[Aroseforlife]

This very situation happened to our family in Sept. 2011. My grandfather shot & killed my grandmother while she slept in their bed then shot himself in the head. They were found by my mother the next morning. So sorry this family has to experience this horrible situation. If this comment gets to anyone in this family or anyone who has also been through this in their family please contact me at [e-mail] If you would like to talk or have any questions please contact me. I have a good listening ear. Kim~

[Blitzster]

Too bad we don't live in a country where we can choose to take our own life without the progressives enslaving us to their own ideals.

Free people deserve to die if they want to. Are you free?

[Paroquet]

Actually, it's the catholics and conservatives who have a penchant what you can and can't do with your body. Lib/progs tend to support death with dignity.

[alaskan_sol]

You have that completely Backwards Blitzster, Libs support dieing with Dignity, Con's are the ones who block all the measures. Or are you trying to be funny? I dont know, picked the wrong article to do it in.

[Paroquet]

Another case for allowing death with dignity.