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Police: Gunman sexually assaulted nurse before killing self at Halifax Hospital

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Investigators are still trying to determine a motive after a 20-year-old gunman committed suicide after firing shots at Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach early Sunday morning.

Late Monday afternoon police released a report in which they said the gunman sexually assaulted a nurse before killing himself.

The shooter, Jonathan Rodriguez-Jeff, was a soldier in the U.S. National Guard and went to Pine Ridge High School, according to his Facebook page. He had never been deployed, WFTV learned.

Daytona Beach police officers were dispatched shortly before 4 a.m. after receiving reports of an active shooter.  Investigators said an armed man first opened fire on a vehicle traveling northbound while he was driving on Clyde Morris Boulevard.

"As units were approaching the area we got another call of shots being fired inside of Halifax hospital," Sgt. Jimmie Flynt with the Daytona Beach Police Department said.

WFTV obtained the 911 calls that were made when Rodriguez-Jeff opened fire.

"He was down towards the intersection where the Halifax Hospital is," said one caller. "Man, it just scared the (expletive) out of me."

"I slowed down to go around them and when I got close to them, they had a rifle and they shot at me twice," one witness told dispatchers.

"He shot a couple of cars and he tried to shoot us and I don't know if he shot someone else, but I heard some shooting," said another caller.

"I'm on the second floor at the Halifax Hospital. The guy has a gun. He's going to kill us," said another witness.

The suspect had crashed his vehicle near one of Halifax's parking lots before getting out and shooting the windows of three parked vehicles. Officials said Rodriguez-Jeff, shot at the glass entrance door of the hospital's Professional Building.

"He didn't walk in through a door, he shot the glass out and that's how he made his entrance into the hospital," Flynt said.

Once inside, police said Rodriguez-Jeff confronted a nurse and a patient on the second floor and asked them, "Do you guys want to die tonight?"

Police said Rodriguez-Jeff also struck two nurses with the end of his shotgun, causing minor injuries.

Hospital patient John Joyce said, "Well, I was a little shaken up because I might of gotten hurt myself if I was here a little earlier."

Rodriguez-Jeff then confronted another nurse and patient in a different room and committed suicide, according to investigators. Police are working to determine why Rodriguez-Jeff went on the rampage.

"No motive whatsoever, we have no idea," Flynt said. "He had a stamp on his hand where it looked like he had been in a club and there was also a wristband indicating he was in a club last night."

Neighbors near Rodriguez's Deltona home said they were shocked to hear the person living next door would be the one behind the terrifying moments that unfolded just after 4 a.m. Sunday.

"He was just a cool dude. He would always be outside like doing conditioning for the National Guard," said neighbor Sam Issiah.

No patients were injured during the ordeal. The hospital's emergency room and entrances were placed on lock down, but have since reopened.