Gunman opens fire at Los Angeles-area hospital; no injuries

[September 12, 2018]    LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A gunman opened fire on Tuesday at a Los Angeles-area hospital, causing police to evacuate two buildings and shut down surrounding streets before arresting a suspect, but there were no reports of injury.

Police did not identify the suspect in the shooting that took place shortly before midday at Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center in Downey, some 15 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, and did not discuss a motive for the gunfire.

"Suspect did fire rounds inside the building. Sole suspect arrested. Gun recovered. The investigation will continue. Streets will open up soon. Thankful it worked out," the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Norwalk station said on Twitter.

The Los Angeles Times, citing Downey Police Chief Carl Charles, reported that the gunman threw a chair through a window of the medical center before pulling out a handgun and firing six or seven rounds.

Local television images showed employees filing out of the building following the shooting, which took place shortly after 11:30 a.m., with hands raised as dozens of police and fire vehicles surrounded the hospital.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis, Steve Gorman and Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles; Editing by Leslie Adler)

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