Trauma surgeon focus of search in deadly Buffalo hospital shooting: AP
(CBS/AP) BUFFALO, N.Y. - Police are looking for trauma surgeon Timothy Jorden Jr. in connection with the shooting death of a woman at the Erie County Medical Center Wednesday, a person familiar with the investigation told the Associated Press.
The early morning shooting death of a 33-year-old woman in a stairwell of the Erie County Medical Center triggered the search for Jordan, 49, a former Army Special Forces medic.
Jorden, who became licensed to practice medicine in New York in 2002, treats patients at the medical center and other major hospitals in the area. He has a medical degree from the University at Buffalo and trained at the Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Wash.
Police blocked road access to Jorden's home in an isolated area of private Lake View homes near the Lake Erie shore. SWAT team members in camouflage arrived in unmarked SUVs. A helicopter flew over the house then left.
Earlier, a SWAT team was called in to search a building on the hospital grounds. As of Wednesday afternoon, that search had ended but police were still collecting evidence at the hospital.
Police Commissioner Daniel Derenda said the morning shooting wasn't a random act. Police searched the building adjacent to the hospital's main building for the shooter more than four hours after the victim was gunned down inside.
The shooting prompted a four-hour lockdown of the medical center's 65-acre campus that was lifted at around noon for all buildings except the one being searched by police. Incoming patients were diverted to another hospital during the lockdown.
Police haven't released any information on the victim, other than her age. They have released no information on the suspected gunman.
Police said the woman was shot several times shortly after 8 a.m. inside a building that houses outpatient services and offices.
"It's a very sad day for ECMC and our community," said Jody Lomeo, the medical center's chief executive officer. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim."
Jorden received his certification from the American Board of Surgery in 2004. There are no legal actions against his license and he apparently has no criminal background.
According to a 1996 profile in The Buffalo News, Jorden is certified in advanced-trauma life support and has received numerous awards recognizing his relationships with patients, his teaching skills and his involvement in the community.
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