Injuries In Attack At Pittsburg Mental Hospital

Law enforcement officials are responding to reports of a possible active shooting and stabbing at a mental health facility near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. At least two people were reportedly stabbed Friday afternoon in a situation involving a "man with a gun and a knife" at a Turtle Creek Valley Mental Health facility in Homestead, according to local CBS affiliate KDKA. The suspect is believed to be a former patient of the facility, according to local news outlets.

According to KDKA, a counselor working inside the facility said the suspect had stabbed "multiple people" and pulled a gun on her in text messages to family. Local news outlets initially reported at least two people had been stabbed in the attack with a third stuck by a firearm. The number of stabbing victims was then bumped to six later in the afternoon. The victims were reportedly taken to UPMC Mercy for treatment, according to KDKA's David Highfield.

At 3:30 p.m. local time, police reported the suspect had been shot three times — once in the arm, once in the hand, and once in the lower extremities — by an Allegheny County SWAT tactical unit. The suspect is reportedly alive and undergoing medical treatment at a nearby hospital. His condition has not yet been confirmed, but it has been reported that his injuries are non-life threatening. A woman identified as CJ Fulton told local broadcaster WTAE over the phone from inside the building that the suspect was a disgruntled former patient. Fulton claimed the suspect said, "You ruined my life," before assaulting and stabbing individuals in the facilities' office.

Initial reports claim the suspect entered Homestead House, a Turtle Creek Valley Mental Health facility located some 7 miles southeast of downtown Pittsburgh, and took the elevator up to the fifth floor. Once on the fifth floor, the suspect reportedly entered a facility staffing office and attacked and assaulted individuals there with a hunting knife and what police are now reporting was a BB gun. It is not clear what type of security measures the facility has, if any, at its entrances.

Homestead House offers a variety of services including a mental health partial hospitalization, a mental health outpatient program, community residential rehabilitation services, and a crisis intervention program, according to their official website. It is currently unclear why, when, or in what capacity the suspect may have received treatment from the facility in the past.