Elderly Woman Fatally Shoots Terminally Ill Husband In A Murder-Suicide Pact, But Fails To Kill Self

A 76-year-old woman fatally shot her terminally ill husband at a hospital in a murder-suicide pact but failed to turn the gun on her. Police arrested the woman and she is expected to face a first-degree manslaughter charge.

The incident occurred Saturday at the Advent Health Hospital at 301 Medical Memorial Parkway in Daytona Beach, where the man was admitted. Police responded to the site to find Jerry Gilland, 77, shot to death by his wife, Ellen Gilland, who barricaded herself in his room, NBC Miami reported.

Investigators said the shooting happened at around 11:30 a.m. local time, leading the situation into chaos as hospital operations were disrupted for nearly four hours while the hostage negotiators persuaded the woman into surrendering, WFTV reported.

Ellen was taken into custody at around 3 p.m. The shooting took place on the 11th floor of the hospital, where several patients were on ventilators, and thus, the evacuation process became challenging. However, investigators said Ellen wasn't an immediate threat to the staff or patients, NBC Miami reported.

Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari E. Young said in a news conference that the woman, as per the pact, would take her own life after shooting her husband but said she "couldn't go through with it," CNN reported.

Ellen is now in custody and could face a first-degree manslaughter charge, Young said in the news conference, according to CNN. Police didn't specify the man's illness but outlined the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

Young said in the news conference that the couple planned to carry out the murder-suicide should Jerry's health get worse and the man would be one to kill his wife first and then take his own life. However, as Jerry was too physically weak to handle a gun, Ellen took over the responsibility and fired a round at her husband, which killed him instantly. She then tried to turn the gun on herself but failed, cops said.

"She's very sad, it's a tough situation," Young said in the news conference.

Police couldn't yet determine how the woman entered the hospital with a gun despite the metal detectors at the gate. Details on the type of gun used in the shooting were also not immediately released.

Dr. Joshua Horenstein, a cardiologist at Advent Health Hospital, said he heard shelter-in-place orders coming from the emergency department as police were trying to get the woman to surrender. "Someone came in screaming in the emergency department that this was not a drill and to shelter in place," Horenstein told CNN from his hideout spot in a supply room.

Horenstein said he was finally able to leave the supply room after 90 minutes. There is no longer a police presence at the hospital, CNN reported.

If you have thoughts of suicide, confidential help is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours, every day.