Authorities believe Dodge County man, 85, killed his wife and then shot himself at an emergency room in Columbus
An 85-year-old Elba man is believed to have killed his wife and then shot himself in the emergency room of a Columbus hospital, authorities say.
Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt said at a news conference Tuesday that Columbus police responded to Prairie Ridge Health, 1515 Park Ave., at about 6:20 a.m. Monday for a report of a man outside the entrance of the emergency room with a gun.
As officers arrived, it was reported that the man, identified by authorities as David Zittel, had shot himself in the emergency room waiting area, Schmidt said.
The hospital went into lockdown until mid-afternoon and ambulances were diverted in the meantime.
Columbus police asked Dodge County deputies to respond to Zittel's residence in the town of Elba. Deputies discovered Susan Zittel, 81, shot to death, according to the sheriff's office.
"With this incident occurring inside of a hospital, we feel it is important for the public to be aware that this is an isolated incident, and that the community is safe," a statement from the sheriff's office states.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Man shot himself at Columbus hospital after killing wife: Authorities
