SEBRING, Fla. — A hospital in Highlands County went into lockdown Thursday after a man shot his son and then shot himself, according to a Facebook post from the Highlands County Sheriff's Office.
A 66-year-old man brought his adult son to AdventHealth Sebring after having difficulties when his son was acting "somewhat combative," deputies wrote.
The son was placed in a mental health room in the emergency room and when he was inside, the reportedly father pulled a handgun out and fired shots at a wall in an attempt to get people out of the room.
He then shot his son before killing himself, deputies said. Both men died on the scene, and there were no other injuries.
The sheriff's office said the son was special needs and they responded to their house in the past. Law enforcement noted a confrontation between the father and son at the hospital around 8 a.m.
The hospital went on a 10-minute lockdown and diverted EMS traffic to a nearby facility.
The sheriff's office responded to the active shooter situation at 11:26 a.m. and it is currently under investigation, according to the sheriff's office.
In a statement, AdventHealth spokesperson Lauren Rozyla said no hospital employees were harmed. The full statement reads:
"Following the incident that occurred in the Emergency Room at AdventHealth Sebring late Thursday morning, we want to reassure everyone that no team members were harmed. We continue to offer confidential mental health resources and our chaplains are currently on site to support our AdventHealth Sebring family.
"Team members from nearby AdventHealth facilities have also been brought in to allow those employees who were working at the time of the incident to return home.
"AdventHealth Sebring will continue to support the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office as they investigate. The Emergency Room at AdventHealth Sebring has resumed normal operations."
Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis is urged to reach out for help. You can contact the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay at 211 or call 911. Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis can contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.