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In a startling incident in Vermont, a woman’s actions reportedly put both hospital staff and patients at risk when she brandished a firearm inside an emergency room.
Erina S. Luciano now faces multiple charges, including aggravated assault and reckless endangerment. Authorities have also charged her with possessing a firearm in a hospital, carrying a firearm during the commission of a felony, and disorderly conduct. This information comes from a press release issued by the St. Albans Police Department.
Luciano pleaded not guilty, according to WCAX-TV.
The unsettling events unfolded on April 25 at the Northwest Medical Center ER. According to WCAX-TV, Luciano initially entered the facility claiming she was being followed, urging staff to contact the police. However, she soon left the premises, only to return shortly after, wielding a 9 mm gun, which she proceeded to point at both staff and patients, as detailed in the police report.
The situation escalated when Luciano reportedly struck a bystander on the head with the firearm. Fortunately, others in the vicinity were able to intervene, securing the weapon and restraining Luciano until law enforcement arrived to take control of the situation.
Luciano allegedly struck one bystander in the head with the weapon before others intervened, securing the gun and restraining her until authorities arrived.
No shots were fired, according to police, and Luciano was taken into custody and held without bail.
“There are few places that are supposed to be more safe than a hospital waiting room,” Franklin County State’s Attorney Bram Kranichfeld told WCAX-TV. “So, I think it’s extremely concerning.”
Meanwhile, a hospital spokesperson praised the Good Samaritans and security for their quick-thinking actions.
“The Emergency Department has multiple levels of security including bullet-proof glass at registration, locked doors into the unit and our Security team,” the spokesperson said in a statement to Oxygen. “Incidents like these, though, give us an opportunity to assess what we can learn from the incident, what worked well and what changes we should consider.”
Two days after the incident, on April 27, Luciano made a virtual appearance in Franklin County Superior Court, where Judge Elizabeth Novotny called her “an extreme danger to the community” and ordered her to undergo a mental health evaluation and treatment, according to WCAX-TV.
“I want to go to the emergency room,” Luciano said in court, per the station. “I don’t trust one person here.”