A witness accounts the chaos and confusion at a Downey hospital after an active shooter suspect caused a scene.
The 34-year-old Lynwood man identified Tuesday as the suspect of the disturbance at a Kaiser Permanente hospital in Downey was jailed Wednesday morning.
Jesus Chavez, 34, of Lynwood, was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department inmate records.
The incident began Tuesday at 11:34 a.m., when officers received a call of a disturbance inside one of the medical buildings at 9333 Imperial Highway.
The call was elevated to an "active shooter" in progress and dozens of people were evacuated from the hospital, officials said.
Police said the suspect surrendered to police while trying to hide from them inside the building. They said he was armed with a pistol. No shots fired and nobody was injured during the ordeal, officials said.
The incident prompted a massive response from deputies and police clad in riot gear. They could be seen entering the hospital as employees and others walked out of the building, many with their hands over their heads.
Downey Police Chief Carl Charles said a disturbance led a Kaiser security guard to go up to the man. He said the suspect threw a chair through a window and pulled out a handgun.
Charles said six or seven gunshots were heard, but police determined that no shots were fired inside the building.
Local
Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.
Those in the area were shocked.
"Right around 12, police just started rushing inside — two active shooters inside and one's stuck in the second floor," said Ernie Martinez, who was among the employees evacuated on the street.
Liz Picou was visiting her mother while she worked at the hospital and was eating at Stox restaurant down the street, when she saw patrol units flying down Imperial Highway.
"I was worried about my mom," Picou said. "It's just too close to home, especially on 9/11."
NBC4's Rudy Chinchilla contributed to this report.
City News Service contributed to this story.
