An Alabama mother was cradling her newborn baby in a hospital room when her husband shot her dead before turning the gun on himself, in a tragic murder-suicide that has renewed questions about hospital security.
Police were called to the Women’s Center at Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital in Homewood around 9:30 p.m. Sunday after reports of gunfire inside the facility.
Precious Johnson, 24, and her husband, Kynath William Terry Jr., 19, were found dead from gunshot wounds inside the hospital room. No other patients or staff were injured, police said.
Johnson had just given birth, according to the Jefferson County Coroner. The baby was not harmed.
The Homewood Police Department said Monday that it is investigating the case as a murder-suicide. Police have not said how Terry was able to bring a gun into the hospital room and have not released additional details about what led up to the shooting. But family members told local news outlets that the couple had been experiencing problems in their marriage in the days before the baby’s birth.
Terry’s mother told WVTM that she did not believe her son was capable of such violence. She added that Terry had recently completed Army National Guard training and was looking forward to becoming a father.
The incident has prompted renewed concern about safety inside medical facilities across Alabama. Danne Howard, president and CEO of the Alabama Hospital Association, told WVTM that this level of violence inside a hospital is extremely rare.
“I think it’s sad, but this was an isolated incident, and I will say in my 30 years of working at the hospital association and representing our hospitals in the state, this is the first time something has occurred like this,” Howard said, emphasizing that hospitals continually review their safety protocols following serious incidents.
Howard noted that Alabama does not require hospitals to employ security guards, though most facilities have security plans that may include metal detectors or screening procedures.
“There are a few places in our world where we should feel safe — at church, our hospitals, and our homes,” she said. “Unfortunately, things happen and we do not feel safe anymore. We want to assure the public that our hospitals and our health care providers consider safety just as important as providing quality health care.”
Homewood Mayor Jennifer Andress told WVTM that the city is supporting the ongoing investigation and that her office is “working closely with hospital leadership and will provide updates as appropriate.”
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email [email protected], or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
