Nicholas Pagano.

A nurse wanted for setting a colleague on fire has killed himself, according to authorities out of Bergen County, New Jersey. Nicholas Pagano, 31, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, prosecutors said.

UPDATE: Found Dead in Waterford Twp, eastern Camden County South Jersey nurse who was WANTED for setting fire to coworker in hospital & hitting her over head with a wrench was found dead of self-inflicted gunshot this morning in Waterford Twp @FOX29philly pic.twitter.com/mvmWcFNZfc

— Steve Keeley (@KeeleyFox29) February 8, 2022

Authorities were seeking him because he allegedly inflicted serious burns to a 54-year-old staffer at Hackensack University Medical Center and beat her with a wrench. Local cops got a call about this attack at approximately 5:15 a.m. on Monday. They said it happened in the break room and the suspect, Pagano, fled.

“The victim suffered third-degree burns over her upper body, face and hands, as well as a laceration to her head that required stitches,” officials said.

Pagano had set her on fire, according to authorities in a CBS New York report.

He had reportedly been working at HUMC as a traveling nurse, contracted there since November. The hospital reportedly said he cleared an adult, including state and county background checks.

The search for Pagano came to a violent and abrupt end all the way down in Waterford Township of Camden County.

“At approximately 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, February 8, 2022, law enforcement learned that PAGANO was found deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Waterford Township, NJ,” prosecutors said.

Authorities have not revealed the alleged motive behind the original attack.

[Image via Bergan County Prosecutor’s Office]

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]

Source: This post first appeared on