Albuquerque, NM - A man trying to join his wife who was in labor at UNM Hospital (UNMH) may have missed the birth after accidentally shooting 6 people in the lobby.
UNM Hospital is in the center of UNM’s main campus in northeast Albuquerque.
The man was waiting in line inside the emergency room, and police say he was fiddling with a gun in his front pocket when it went off.
Chuck Lovett was standing in the check in line behind Brian Taylor, the shooter.
Lovett described the 34 year old, “He had a backpack on his shoulder and I saw he had his hand in his pocket.”
Inside Taylor's pocket was a snub-nosed .357. “It’s a pretty powerful pistol,” Lt. Robert Haarhues with UNM Police said.
There are clear signs saying no guns.
Lovett says the man made a strange move, “He went to reach and pull it out of his pocket like he thought ‘Oh my God I forgot’".
Lovett then laid the timeline for what happened next, “All of the sudden it just went off… People were going ‘What was that? What the heck was that?... The guy looked at my girlfriend looked at myself and he turned around and walked out the door. He said excuse me and he turned around and walked out the door”.
Lovett says security guards were confused, but once they realized a bullet had been fired they starting looking for the shooter. Lovett said he pointed towards the exit and police followed the man.
Six people in line were hit by bullet fragments. Lovett's girlfriend's sister was hit four times in the leg.
“They had to do x-rays on her leg because they didn't know how far it went in,” He said.
Taylor, the shooter, wasn't hurt but it was clear the shot was from him.
“It just tore his pants leg all the way down,” Lovett said.
UNM Police stopped him as he was leaving, ”He didn't really know what else to do, he knew what ever was going to happen wasn't going to be good.” Lt. Haarhues said.
Taylor reportedly told the cops that his wife was having a high risk birth and asked police to cut him a break so he could be with her.
Lt. Haarhues said Taylor was given a quick, “No. We take it very seriously. He was taken to jail.”
Taylor told News 13, “I kind of feel sorry for the guy but then again I don't because it was stupid.”
Taylor has a concealed carry license, but that doesn't matter at UNMH. He bonded out of jail the next day.
Taylor is charged with negligent use and unlawful carrying of a firearm, both are misdemeanors.
We asked if Taylor made it to the birth, UNM officials didn't know the answer to that.
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