DALLAS — Authorities on Monday identified one of the people shot to death at Methodist Dallas Medical Center over the weekend.
Jacqueline Ama Pokuaa, 45, was killed in the Saturday shooting, the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office said. The identity of the second person who was killed is still being withheld pending notification of their next of kin, officials said. Both victims worked at the hospital, but officials did not say what their roles were.
Nestor Oswaldo Hernandez, 30, faces charges of capital murder. According to an arrest-warrant affidavit, Hernandez was at the hospital for the birth of his child when he began acting strangely, accusing his girlfriend of cheating on him.
Hernandez struck his girlfriend with a handgun and vowed to shoot the first person who walked into the room, according to the affidavit. When someone walked into the room, he opened fire, fatally shooting that person and a second worker who looked into the room from the hall, authorities said.
Hernandez was a parolee with a history of robbery convictions who had been released from prison last year. While authorities have not disclosed the exact terms of his parole, police said Hernandez was wearing an ankle monitor during the shooting. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice said he was given permission to be at the hospital for the birth.
Authorities have not disclosed the conditions of Hernandez’s significant other, or of the child.
The hospital’s leadership said in a written statement over the weekend they had lost two “beloved team members.”
“The Methodist Health System Family is heartbroken at the loss of two of our beloved team members. Our entire organization is grieving this unimaginable tragedy,” the hospital system’s executive leadership said. “Our prayers are with our lost co-workers and their families, as well as our entire Methodist family. We appreciate the community’s support during this difficult time.”
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