METAIRIE, La. (WGNO) — A doctor was shot and killed Thursday afternoon at the medical offices located inside East Jefferson General Hospital. Jefferson Parish deputies say the gunman took his own life at a nearby Wendy’s restaurant.
The doctor is identified as 75-year-old Elbert Goodier, a urologist. The gunman has been identified as Dr. Goodier’s patient, 73-year-old John Thomas of Kenner.
Jefferson Parish Col. John Fortunato said Thomas has no prior criminal history, but family members say he did suffer from mental illness.
Deputies say shortly after 2 p.m. Thomas went into the medical office and fired a single shot striking the doctor in the head and killing him. Dr. Goodier was seeing patients at the time of the shooting.
Deputies immediately began looking for the suspect who was described as wearing black pants and a white shirt and having white hair.
They say they spotted the man walking into the nearby Wendy’s restaurant. Deputies say the moment he saw their arrival, he put the gun in his mouth and fired a single shot, killing himself in front of the customers there.
Fortunato says that there is no word of any animosity between the attacker and the doctor, and he does not know if any words were exchanged at the murder scene.