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JOHN DECKER jdecker@leader.net
Friday, February 04, 2000 Page: 7A
KINGSTON – A 60-year-old Kingston Township man remained in critical
condition Thursday afternoon, a day after he apparently shot himself four
times in the head inside a hospital restroom, police said.
A staff doctor at Nesbitt Memorial Hospital discovered the man in the
first-floor restroom at about 1 p.m. Wednesday.
Emergency workers responded to what they thought might be a cardiac arrest.
A nurse rolled the man onto his back to begin CPR and saw blood and the gun.
Police Chief Jim Keiper said the restroom, located next to a busy
cafeteria, has a solid wooden door and a soundproof ceiling.
“Nobody heard a thing,” Keiper said.
Neither police nor a spokesman for Wyoming Valley Health Care System would
identify the Trucksville resident on Thursday.
After the man was stabilized, he was transported to Wilkes-Barre General
Hospital for further treatment. Keiper said the man remained unconscious as of
late Thursday morning.
The chief said he is “leaning” toward self-inflicted gunshot wounds, but
he said the case will remain a “shooting incident under investigation” until
he is completely satisfied.
“We’re looking at everything to make sure there’s nothing there.”
The weapon was a .22-caliber handgun. The gun was registered to the victim,
who had a license for it, Keiper said.
“It’s not the first time we’ve seen something like that with a small
caliber weapon. A .22 doesn’t have a lot of striking power.”
Call Decker at 829-7222.