(Petersburg, Va.) — A lockdown is lifted and the search is on for a man who police say brought a weapon into Bon Secours Southside Medical Center in Petersburg yesterday evening.
The Petersburg Bureau of Police said Rasheem Anthony Beam went into the hospital Monday night and told staff he had a gun. Security escorted him out of the building before putting the facility on lockdown.
Community member Deborah Squires told 8News getting news like this is shocking — especially for those who were inside of the hospital.
“You don’t know what the intent of the individual is, whether he was looking for a mass amount of people or whether he was just looking for one person,” Squires said.
Officials said they don’t know exactly why Beam entered the hospital, but believe he may have some type of relationship to a staff member.
“We train for these types of situations and we hope that they don’t occur,” Police Chief Travis Christian said Tuesday. “But unfortunately, across the country, we’re seeing this type of behavior happen all over.”
Christian said it’s the first time an incident like has happened in the area, but the department continues to prepare for any and every crucial situation. Squires said the community is now on high alert after the incident.
“You just have to be more aware of your surroundings,” Squires said. “Just to make sure that you know who’s around you and what’s going on at the time.”
Police say anyone who sees Beam should not approach him and call 911 immediately.
