Week after man assaults nurse, fires gun, Halifax Hospital mulls extra security

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Halifax Hospital officials are talking about changing security days after a gunman shot his way into the hospital and sexually assaulted a nurse before taking his own life.

 Currently anybody can walk in and out of the emergency room without being stopped. Hospital officials said they want to add more security without limiting access to the ER.

Last week gunman Jonathan Rodriguez-Jeff spent 20 minutes in the hospital terrorizing patients and nurses with a shotgun.

While Halifax officials are calling it an isolated incident, they still want extra security measures in place.

"At the end of the day, we're all responsible for ourselves, but there are some things you can do. You can make sure you have a solid security plan in place. You can make sure you have surveillance where you need surveillance," said John Guthrie of Halifax Health.

The board of commissioners that oversees the hospital is now recommending changes that include arming security guards and limiting access to the hospital.

Some of the changes would also include adding bullet proof glass to the entrances at the hospital. And while the hospital currently has more than 200 cameras, officials want to add more.

In the hospital's 85 years, officials said the shooting is the worst incident in its history and they're proud of how their nurses handled it.

"The nurses acted heroically," said Guthrie. "They were most concerned about their patients' care, which was amazing given the circumstances."

Officials have not said when or if the extra security changes would be made.

WFTV