Gunshot puts Waterloo hospital on lockdown

WATERLOO — MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center was placed on lockdown Friday following what turned out to be a gun firing accidentally inside the hospital.

Police were called to MercyOne shortly after 9:40 a.m. for a report of a single gunshot inside a restroom. They located damage from a bullet inside a restroom, but no one was around the room.

Hospital staff and officers eventually determined the person with the gun had left the building and investigators found him at a home.

“The person responsible reported the weapon had gone off accidentally and he got scared and left the hospital,” Waterloo police said in a statement.

The hospital was placed on lockdown with staff turning away people who were arriving for appointments. MercyOne was reopened a short time later.

MercyOne policy prohibits bringing weapons on the property, according to signs placed at the entrances.

Officers said no injuries were reported and authorities continue to investigate the situation.