A Florida doctor has been hailed as a hero for stopping a patient who opened fire in the emergency room of the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center on Wednesday night.
The FBI said Larry Ray Bon, a 59-year-old double-amputee from Michigan, arrived at the hospital for treatment, but quickly became disruptive. He was taken to the emergency room around 6:20 p.m., where he pulled out a small handgun and started firing as he was about to undergo a mental health evaluation.
The doctor, who has not been named, was shot in the neck, and another hospital employee was grazed by a bullet, Justin Fleck, the assistant special agent in charge at the FBI’s Miami field office, said at a press conference Wednesday night.
The injured doctor was able to jump on Ray Bon and disarm him before more shots were fired.
“I’m not going to release his name at this time, but he’s doing well, and he did a heroic thing today,” Fleck said. “Probably saved a lot of lives.”
“No one else was harmed and the suspect is in law enforcement custody,” the spokesperson told ABC News Wednesday night. “The facility is secure and will remain operational for scheduled appointments and procedures tomorrow.”
It is unclear whether Ray Bon, who uses an electric wheelchair, is a veteran.
“We believe he may be homeless here in the area,” Fleck told reporters. “If anybody is familiar with him and can provide us any information about where he might be staying at, or some associates that could help us paint the picture of who he is, we’d appreciate a call into the FBI.”