Montgomery County police identified a hospital employee Sunday killed in an apparent attack at a Bethesda medical center but have yet to publicly name a suspect in the first homicide of 2011 in the Maryland suburb. Authorities said Roosevelt Brockington Jr., 40, of Lusby, Md., was the Suburban Hospital worker slain on Saturday, prompting a four-hour lockdown as investigators looked for the attacker. According to Suburban officials, the Calvert County resident had worked at the site since August 2006 as a lead engineer in the hospital's Plant Operations Department. He was responsible for maintaining the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. Even though much of the hospital is under surveillance, police said they "do not have any suspect description to release."
"We do not have confirmed information that we can put out at this point, no definitive suspects," said police spokeswoman Lucille Baur. "This is a very open and active investigation, and detectives are keeping a lot close to the vest."
Baur told
The Washington Examiner that hospital employees led police to Brockington's body in a "non-patient" area of the hospital. Police were called to the scene for an apparent stabbing, but Baur said a cause of death would not be announced until an autopsy in Baltimore was completed -- potentially as early as Monday. Despite rescue efforts, Brockington was pronounced dead at the scene. Baur would not say whether there were any witnesses to the assault or whether the attack was recorded on video surveillance.
While the campus was on lockdown Saturday, 140 patients were inside the building. Incoming patients were diverted to another hospital, and no one was allowed to enter or leave the building. Police say they identified each patient, visitor and employee in the 222-bed hospital.
Suburban spokeswoman Ronna Borenstein said hospital officials have increased counseling outreach for employees in the wake of the apparent attack.
The medical center was fully operational Sunday.
It was an unwelcome beginning to the new year for Montgomery County police, who investigated 17 homicides last year.