Officer John Bartholomew was killed and another Chicago officer remained critically wounded after the suspect opened fire inside the hospital.
CHICAGO, IL — A man accused of robbing an Albany Park dollar store hours before two Chicago police officers were shot at Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital remained in custody as investigators worked to determine how he obtained a gun inside the hospital.
The shooting killed Officer John Bartholomew, 38, a 10-year Chicago police veteran, and left a second officer, 57, in critical condition. Police said the officers had taken the robbery suspect to the hospital for observation after his arrest Saturday morning. The case has drawn scrutiny because hospital officials said the suspect was wanded when he arrived and was escorted by law enforcement before the gunfire.
The chain of events began before the hospital shooting, when authorities said the suspect was arrested on suspicion of robbery. Law enforcement sources told CBS News Chicago the same man is accused of robbing a Family Dollar store in Albany Park at gunpoint hours before the officers were shot. Police have not publicly released the suspect’s name or detailed what was taken from the store. Chicago police Superintendent Larry Snelling said Saturday that the officers brought the man to the hospital “for an observation” before the shooting unfolded about 10:50 a.m. at the North Side hospital.
Bartholomew and the wounded officer were assigned to guard the suspect during the hospital visit, officials said. Police said the suspect opened fire while in custody, striking both officers. Bartholomew was pronounced dead just before 1 p.m., according to authorities. The wounded officer was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where Snelling said he was “fighting for his life.” Officials have not released the injured officer’s name. No hospital patients or staff members were reported injured, though the shooting led to a lockdown and a large police response around the hospital campus at 5140 N. California Ave.
After the shooting, the suspect fled the hospital, prompting a search in the surrounding Lincoln Square area. Surveillance images described by local outlets appeared to show the suspect running without clothing, with medical electrodes on his chest. Police later took him into custody nearby. A firearm was recovered, officials said. Snelling said investigators had recovered three weapons connected to the broader investigation, but police had not explained by Sunday how the suspect accessed the gun used in the hospital shooting. That question remained one of the central unknowns in the case.
Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital said the man was brought to its emergency department by law enforcement for treatment and was wanded when he arrived, following hospital protocol. The hospital said he was escorted by law enforcement at all times. After the gunfire, the hospital was locked down while officers searched the building and nearby streets. The lockdown was later lifted. Hospital officials said staff members followed procedures, but police continued to review the movements of the suspect, the officers and any weapons recovered before and after the shooting.
The shooting struck a department already familiar with the risks of hospital and prisoner transport calls, which often involve medical care, custody rules and security checks in public spaces. Chicago officials described the incident as a line-of-duty death. Mayor Brandon Johnson said the city was grieving with Bartholomew’s family and the Police Department. Gov. JB Pritzker also issued a statement mourning the officer’s death and calling for support for the wounded officer. A procession later carried Bartholomew from Illinois Masonic Medical Center to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
Police have not announced formal charges tied to the hospital shooting or the alleged dollar store robbery. Investigators were expected to review hospital security video, body-camera footage, arrest records and evidence from the robbery case. The Cook County state’s attorney’s office would decide what charges to file after receiving investigative materials from police. Possible court dates had not been announced as of Monday. The suspect’s identity was expected to be released once charges were approved or once police completed required notification and booking steps.
Outside Swedish Hospital, police vehicles lined nearby streets Saturday as officers blocked traffic and residents watched from sidewalks and apartment windows. Some officers stood in silence as Bartholomew’s body was moved from the hospital. Snelling said the shooting showed the danger officers face even during calls that appear routine. “This is a tragic day,” he said, as he described one officer dead and another critically hurt. The hospital later said its staff was safe and that no patients had been harmed during the shooting or lockdown.
As of Monday, April 27, the suspect remained in custody, Bartholomew had been publicly identified, and the second officer remained hospitalized. Police said the investigation was continuing, with the next major step expected to be the filing of charges and further explanation of how the suspect obtained a weapon.
Author note: Last updated April 27, 2026.