Houston's Ben Taub Hospital Evacuated, Reports of Active Shooter Situation

[Skiprr]

Developing story: http://abc13.co/2kWoJUg. However, no suspect found and no evidence that anyone has been shot. Police response is massive, other hospitals on lockdown, and all of Ben Taub being evacuated.

[Skiprr]

HPD Chief Art Acevedo spoke to press and said that at 13:58 multiple 911 calls came in reporting an active shooter. More than one of those reports described a bald, white male of unknown age as the shooter. First search of hospital completed; no evidence of any victim. SWAT and K9 teams conducting second search.

This is a Level 1 trauma hospital with extensive ER, at least 10 other operating theaters, and almost 600 beds. Evacuation effort is pretty remarkable. Patients needing immediate attention have been transported to Memorial Hermann; non-emergency surgeries suspended. Patients on stretchers lining the street. Because the Houston Medical Center is a huge complex in a relatively small footprint, other hospitals have gone into lockdown. Multiple LE agencies responded. Traffic in that part of the Med Center is snarled and confused.

[Pariah3j]

Was Ben Taub just swatted ?

[bubba84]

Was Ben Taub just swatted ?

If it was, im not sure that its laughable.

[Pariah3j]

Sorry, my poor sense of humor - the laugh was because they could never be swatted because they have 30.06 and 30.07 signs. Bad guys would know better then to bring guns in there.

[Liberty]

So far no evidence of any gunman any gun or shots fired not even any bullet holes. Someone heard pops. Maybe a breaker, lighting ballast or bubble wrap? These people aren't exactly gun experts and live in a gun free zone.

Some saying lights went off?

[Skiprr]

Acevedo's second press briefing: second search is complete. No evidence of any shots fired. He was quick to respond to a reporter's question by saying that he was not saying no shots were fired; what he was saying was that he is certain that, if there was a threat, it is not present now. Hospital operations starting to resume; SWAT officers will remain stationed on each floor for approximately two more hours.

[PBR]

I think probably a false alarm report. Not one person I seen interviewed heard any shots.

[Skiprr]

This whole situation and response is fascinating. For those unfamiliar with the Houston Medical Center--the largest in the world, BTW, not just in the U.S.--you can only imagine the massive scale of such a rapid LE mobilization and large hospital evacuation. Even the TV coverage really didn't do justice to the impact to the area.

[ELB]

If one or two people called in a "I heard shots..." and subsequently nothing was found, I would think they callers were not liars, just mistaken - heard dumpster lids slamming or something heavy dropped on the floor.

but

"...multiple 911 calls came in reporting an active shooter. More than one of those reports described a bald, white male of unknown age as the shooter..."

with no evidence of suspect or even shots found after searches makes the little conspirator in the back of my mind wonder if this was a test to see what would happen - like how many cops would get called away from other parts of the city, and how big a traffic jam/how many first responders could you concentrate in a small area?

My paranoia level has been noticeably elevated in recent months.

[Jusme]

If one or two people called in a "I heard shots..." and subsequently nothing was found, I would think they callers were not liars, just mistaken - heard dumpster lids slamming or something heavy dropped on the floor.

but

"...multiple 911 calls came in reporting an active shooter. More than one of those reports described a bald, white male of unknown age as the shooter..."

with no evidence of suspect or even shots found after searches makes the little conspirator in the back of my mind wonder if this was a test to see what would happen - like how many cops would get called away from other parts of the city, and how big a traffic jam/how many first responders could you concentrate in a small area?

My paranoia level has been noticeably elevated in recent months.

You're not paranoid, someone could have come in and fired blanks, trying to gauge response time, who gets called in, areas left unprotected, etc..
It could also be a left wing conspiracy to help bolster the new police chief and "his" team to show that they are fully prepared for anything.
Grassy Knolls in this day and age, are no less plausible than they were 50 years ago.
JMHO

[Liberty]

But that is a gun free zone, there couldn't possibly be an unauthorized gun in the building. No witnesses actually saw a gun. No bullet holes. Is it possible to shoot a gun inside the hospital without making bullet holes.

[ELB]

My inner voice of caution is telling me not to forget that the press briefing may have given information that later turns out to be not quite right...

[ELB]

You're not paranoid, someone could have come in and fired blanks,...

Actually what I was saying, based on above posts that so far no one has been found who actually heard shots, is that the multiple calls with similar suspect descriptions might have been a coordinated attempt to test response. I was raising the possibility that no one heard shots and no one saw an bald white guy because there never were any and never was one. Probing and dry runs have been used prior to past terrorist attacks.

And as far as triggering a massive response just to shore up Acevedo --- noooo, don't think so. The chance for something to go seriously wrong, for some unfortunate incident like an AD (especially with injury) or a cop car enroute runs over somebody, or some patients die while being evac'd (perhaps coincidentally), that would blow up in the Chief's face would be way too high. I'll bet there is not a police chief in the country that doesn't get the puckers when he has a substantial bunch of his officers suddenly and unexpectedly running to the sound of gunfire. Nothing against or peculiar to cops -- any time any large organization suddenly deploys a lot of people the chance for mishap is significant.

And I don't buy any JFK conspiracy theories, at all.

[bblhd672]

False flag operation?

Aren't the phone numbers of calls placed to 911 logged? Seems multiple people should be getting visit from police about the call made from their phone. Unless they were all internal hospital numbers, but still with all the video surveillance you would think it could be easy to find out who called.

If prank or deliberate attempt at inciting terror there should be arrest and prosecution