Alabama authorities are investigating a murder-suicide that unfolded inside a medical center and involved a married couple who had only just welcomed their first child.
The Homewood Police Department confirmed to Us Weekly the investigation into the tragic killing of Precious Elicia J’anae Johnson continues.
Johnson, 24, was a patient at the Women’s Medical Center at Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital, recovering from giving birth.
Johnson was shot multiple times in the hospital on Sunday, March 1, by her husband, Kynath William Terry, Jr., police said.
Terry, who is 19 years old, then died by suicide, orphaning their newborn child, according to investigators.
Police learned that the couple hadn’t been married for long, and that Johnson had recently given birth to their first child.
Authorities have not offered any details about what may have led up to the murder-suicide.
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Investigators said the violence happened Sunday night when Terry was visiting his wife at Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital.
It was unclear if the hospital had metal detectors, and now, local officials are taking a renewed look at security at the hospital.
Danne Howard, president and CEO of the Alabama Hospital Association, told WVTM that hospitals work to protect patients, visitors, and staff while delivering care. “There are a few places in our world where we should feel safe — at church, our hospitals, and our homes. Unfortunately, things happen and we do not feel safe anymore.”
Howard told the station hospitals update their safety plans every two years and participate in regular emergency preparedness exercises with public health officials.
“We want to assure the public that our hospitals and our health care providers consider safety just as important as providing quality health care,” she said.
In Alabama, hospitals are not required to employ security guards. However, Howard said most facilities have security measures in place.
Some hospitals use metal detectors and additional screening procedures, depending on the facility.
Howard said the association will soon reassess hospital safety plans statewide, to determine if improvements are necessary.
No one else was injured during Sunday’s tragic incident.
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Baptist Health did release a statement Sunday evening, saying the hospital was on lockdown “out of an abundance of caution,” but there was “no active threat to patients, team members or the public.”
The statement noted that Baptist Health is “cooperating fully with authorities investigating the incident.”
This is the second time the area has dealt with the fallout of a murder-suicide in the last three months.
Christina Chambers, a former WBRC 6 sports reporter, and her husband, Johnny Rimes, were discovered at their family home in Hoover in December, with their 3-year-old son nearby.
Cops suspect the two died in “a murder/suicide,” but noted they are still investigating. Both sustained gunshot wounds, the department said.
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).