Links Roundup: Colleagues Remember Dr. Michael Davidson

Miharu Sugie — Thu, 22 Jan 2015 21:33:29 -0500

Colleagues said goodbye to Michael Davidson, the victim of a shooting at Brigham and Women's Hospital, at a memorial service Wednesday morning. Led by the hospital's president, Elizabeth Nabel, 150 colleagues dressed in scrubs placed roses at the hospital’s flagpole in honor of the surgeon.

Davidson, a 44-year-old cardiovascular surgeon, was allegedly shot twice by Stephen Pasceri of Millbury, who then killed himself with the same gun. Davidson died of his injuries at the hospital on Wednesday.

Police are not sure why the suspect targeted Davidson. Pasceri's actions also took family members by surprise, according to the Boston Herald. Marguerite Joly, Pasceri's sister, told the Herald that Davidson prescribed medication for the suspect's mother, Marguerite Pasceri. Margeurite Pasceri died in November.

Gregory Pasceri, the suspect's brother, spoke of possible motives to the Boston Globe:

Stephen D. Pasceri apparently "lost it" and fatally shot a cardiovascular surgeon at Brigham and Women's Hospital because he suspected that medication his mother took during her most recent illness led to her death two months ago, Pasceri's brother said Wednesday.

Gregory Pasceri said that in a meeting with his family last month, his brother said he believed the medication had "toxic side effects" and could cause pulmonary bleeding, which would have been devastating for their mother, given her past lung problems.

Authorities have not disclosed a motive in the killing. But Gregory believes his brother felt so betrayed over the medication that he walked into the hospital Tuesday morning and shot Dr. Michael J. Davidson before taking his own life.

Although police responded to the shots swiftly and secured the hospital within 16 minutes, this incident has raised questions about hospital security, Fox News reported:

Betsy Nabel, the hospital's president, said Brigham and Women's will evaluate its safety protocols. She said there have been no discussions about installing metal detectors, which none of the city's hospitals have.

Dr. Ron Walls, Brigham's chief operating officer, echoed Nabel in an interview with WBUR:

"There is no amount of preparation anyone can do that completely eliminates the prospect of this kind of tragic event happening," Walls said. "But we do believe we have a responsibility, and we're working hard to meet that responsibility to have all of our people completely prepared in the best way we can so that when something like this happens -- if it happens, and whatever happens -- our staff is able to respond."

The 44-year-old victim was an integral part of the hospital community, according to WBUR:

"He was a visionary, and he saw what was coming down the pike and he knew that we were going to be taking care of very complex patients in a completely different manner than we had ever thought about doing," Dr. Pinak Shah, a Brigham doctor, said later Wednesday.

Davidson's funeral will be held at Temple Beth Elohim, 10 Bethel Rd., in Wellesley at 10 a.m. Friday.

Doctor Shot at Brigham & Women's Hospital Dies

Alexandra Malloy — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 16:41:30 -0500

Dr. Michael Davidson, the surgeon wounded Tuesday in a shooting at Brigham and Women's Hospital, died of his injuries Wednesday, Boston police announced.

The suspected shooter, 55-year-old Stephen Pasceri, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police found him just after 11 a.m. Tuesday, after responding to a call for shots fired at the hospital.

Pasceri, a resident of Milbury, was pronounced dead on the scene.

Several witnesses told police that Pasceri entered the Shapiro Building and asked to speak with Davidson. Investigators believe that during their conversation, Pasceri produced a .40-caliber pistol and fired two shots, the Boston Globe reported.

Pasceri did have a license to carry a firearm, WCVB reports.

Motive still remains unclear, though the suspect's mother, Marguerite Pasceri, was a patient of Davidson's and died Nov. 15, 2014.

Davidson, 44, had been a cardiovascular surgeon at Brigham and Women’s since 2006 and an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. He leaves behind three children and his wife, a fellow surgeon.

BPD's full press release is below:

Boston Police Responds to Active Shooter Incident at Brigham and Women’s Hospital - Today, Tuesday, January 20, 2015, at approximately 11:07 AM, numerous officers from Area B-2 (Roxbury) responded to the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Shapiro Building, 70 Francis Street, Boston, for a report of shots fired inside that location. Responding officers were directed to a second floor office area and located a crime scene. Initial information gathered at the scene suggests that the suspect, identified as 55-year-old Stephen Pasceri of Millbury, MA, entered the Shapiro Building and asked to speak with a specific doctor by name who is employed by the hospital. Investigators have reason to believe that at some point during his meeting with that doctor, Pasceri took out a gun and fired two shots, striking the victim both times. It is believed that Pasceri then turned the gun on himself taking his own life.

During the incident, responding officers and hospital staff worked together under extreme conditions to render help to the victim as well as ensuring the safety of all those in the immediate and surrounding area. Within sixteen minutes, the entire incident was brought under control and no further injuries resulted. The exceptional response by officers and hospital staff was the direct result of active shooter training that has been recently provided to the hospital staff by the Boston Police Department. This type of training continues to occur with our health care partners and after today’s incident has proven to an invaluable exercise dedicated to ensuring the safety and well-being of those impacted by or confronted with an active shooter situation.

The victim was taken from the scene and treated for life threatening injuries. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene as a result of what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Michael Davidson | Homicide Watch Boston

Links Roundup: Colleagues Remember Dr. Michael Davidson

Doctor Shot at Brigham & Women's Hospital Dies