THE MAN WHO opened fire in a New York hospital, killing a doctor and wounding six others before taking his own life has been named.

The shooter was himself a doctor and former employee of the hospital, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio and police chief James O’Neill, who ruled out a connection to terrorism.

He entered the building in a white coat with an automatic weapon concealed under his shirt, officials said.

The incident occurred at the 1,000-bed Bronx-Lebanon hospital just before 3pm local time (8pm here) as many patients were receiving consultations.

Police quickly cordoned off the area and encircled the hospital, placing officers on rooftops as they conducted a floor-by-floor search for the assailant.

The shooter, named as 45-year-old Henry Bello, was eventually found dead in a pool of blood on the 17th floor of the building after apparently killing himself, according to O’Neill.

The police chief added that the gunman apparently attempted “to set himself on fire” before activating the institution’s fire alarm system.

The dead doctor, a woman whose identity has also not yet been disclosed, was found nearby. The mayor said some doctors were “fighting for their lives right now,” without disclosing how many physicians were among the wounded.

Speaking at a press briefing, De Blasio said: “Thank God this is not an act of terrorism. It is an isolated incident.”

- © AFP 2017

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