Suspect in hospital shooting identified, charged with attempted murder, SC cops say
The suspect in Wednesday’s shooting at a South Carolina hospital that left one person in critical condition has been charged with attempted murder, the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office said.
Abrian Dayquan Sabb was identified as the man who opened fire in the emergency department of the Regional Medical Center-Orangeburg, according to arrest warrants.
The 23-year-old Orangeburg resident has been charged with attempted murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, arrest warrants show.
Sabb was taken into custody at the hospital after he “fired multiple shots which struck a nurse,” at about 8:30 a.m., according to arrest warrants.
The nurse was shot in the abdomen, according to an incident report. Hospital president and CEO Charles Williams told reporters Wednesday afternoon the nurse is out of surgery but remains in critical condition.
Sheriff’s deputies who responded to the active shooter situation found the suspect, later identified as Sabb, had been “contained,” and was sitting in the emergency room near the nurse’s station, the incident report said.
Sabb had also been involved in a shooting a day earlier, according to an incident report.
Just before 2 p.m. Tuesday, sheriff’s deputies responded to the residence where Sabb lives with his girlfriend, who told them the couple had been arguing about his possession of a handgun. When she tried to take it out of his hands, it went off accidentally and fired a bullet into the floor, according to an incident report.
His girlfriend told deputies Sabb ran out of the house with the gun, but he was located by a wood line and the gun was found behind a dumpster, the incident report said. Sabb’s father was notified by the sheriff’s office, and the gun was turned over to him when he arrived at the home, according to the incident report.
There is no record that Sabb was charged with any crimes stemming from the Tuesday incident.
When speaking with deputies, Sabb said he wanted “to talk with the doctor instead of law enforcement because he fears he may get arrested,” according to the incident report.
An Orangeburg County official said Sabb went to the emergency room Wednesday seeking aid for a mental health issue Tuesday, but was told to return Friday because there were no beds available, WLTX reported.
Democratic Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter of Orangeburg said she was told “a nurse was shot by someone with mental problems,” according to the Associated Press.
This story was originally published April 10, 2019 at 5:41 PM.
