Family Demands Answers After Security Guard Shoots Patient in Gary Hospital ER

GARY, Indiana — A family is seeking answers after a security guard shot a patient multiple times inside the emergency room waiting area at Methodist Hospital’s Northlake Campus on Tuesday night.

The hospital stated that the patient took out a gun and threatened to shoot himself or others. Security staff responded quickly, and the hospital commended the guard for neutralizing the threat.

The man who was shot has been identified by his family as Otis Brown, described as a kind father to a 12-year-old boy and a “great person” who was “happy-go-lucky” and “always out there trying to do the right thing.” His fiancée spoke to reporters outside the University of Chicago Medical Center, where Brown is recovering.

She said she had no idea why he went to the hospital in the first place. Family members claim Brown was trying to leave the facility when the shooting occurred. They also allege that the hospital had given him the gun back after he was cleared to leave.

“I just want to get answers. I just want to know what happened, particularly when people are defaming his name,” the fiancée said.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Department detectives are investigating the incident. Brown’s family expressed hope that the hospital has surveillance video that could provide further clarity on what happened.