A 28-year-old Evanston man is charged with attempted murder, a felony, in addition to two felony counts of battery against a public safety officer and two misdemeanor weapons charges after firing a gun in Endeavor Health Evanston Hospital’s emergency room, shooting an Evanston Hospital security officer and biting another after he was admitted to the ER on June 5, Evanston police said.
Evanston’s Crisis Alternative Response Evanston (CARE) team interacted with the man, Christian Haywood, when he was exhibiting signs of mental illness, police said, in the 1700 block of Sherman Avenue in downtown Evanston. The CARE team’s members are not police and are trained to respond to residents in crisis without escalating situations.
After interacting with the CARE team, Haywood, of the 1100 block of Church Street, agreed to go to the emergency room, police said. Police officers did not have contact with Haywood before he arrived at the hospital, they said.
Police said in a news release that Haywood became agitated during the intake process, prompting security to enter the room. Then, “an altercation took place, and Haywood produced a handgun… and discharged it at least three times, striking the victim in her left upper and lower extremities. While Haywood was being subdued and disarmed, he bit the second victim,” the release said.
The bullets struck the victim, a 33-year-old female hospital security guard, in her left arm and leg, per police. She underwent surgery at the hospital and is in stable condition, they said.
The biting victim was a 47-year-old female hospital security guard.
Haywood was detained until officers arrived.
The hospital was on lockdown after the shooting and was also on bypass, meaning patients that normally might have been taken to the Evanston Hospital emergency room were taken to other hospitals.
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office reviewed witness statements and video footage and approved a charge of one felony count of attempted first degree murder, as well as the following additional charges:
- One felony count of aggravated battery – discharge of a firearm causing injury to a public safety officer
- One felony count of aggravated battery to a public safety officer
- Two misdemeanor counts of unlawful possession of a weapon
Spencer Walrath, a spokesperson for Endeavor Health, released a statement to Pioneer Press on June 6.
“We conduct regular, ongoing security assessments of our locations and will be reviewing this incident closely to identify additional actions and investments that may further enhance safety,” the statement said.
Police also found a second gun among Haywood’s belongings, they said.
Haywood remained in the custody of the Cook County Sheriff’s Office. His next status hearing was scheduled for June 10 at the Skokie Courthouse.
Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss issued a statement expressing sympathy to the shooting victim and wishing her a successful recovery.
“This incident is another reminder of the urgency of addressing the scourge of gun violence,” he wrote. “I am thankful to all first responders, including CARE team members, firefighters, and police personnel, each of whom acted with skill and professionalism to improve the situation. This incident underscores the importance of retaining a broad variety of trained emergency responders.”
Biss told Pioneer Press on Monday the city is conducting an independent review of the incident.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
