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Suspect dead and four critically ill after US hospital shooting

Police said it is unclear if the gunman took his own life or was killed by officers.

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Law enforcement officials near Mercy Hospital

A suspected gunman is dead and four people are in critical condition after a shooting at a Chicago hospital, police said.

Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said an officer and at least one hospital employee are among those in critical condition after the Monday afternoon shooting at Mercy Hospital.

Mr Guglielmi says the gunman was killed, but it is unclear if he took his own life or was killed by police.

A witness said he saw a gunman repeatedly shoot a woman outside the hospital before making his way inside and opening fire.

James Gray said he was inside Mercy Hospital when the shooting unfolded. He described the scene as “mass chaos”.

Mr Gray said the man was walking with a woman near a parking area when he turned and shot her in the chest multiple times. He said the man then stood over the woman and continued shooting.

He said the man then entered the hospital, and “just started shooting at random”.

The police department issued a statement earlier saying there were “reports of multiple victims” after shots were fired near the hospital on the city’s South Side. Police asked people to avoid the area.

A spokesman for mayor Rahm Emanuel said he and Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson are monitoring the situation.

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