A tragic incident unfolded in Alabama when a young nurse, who had recently welcomed her second child, was fatally shot in an unexpected attack after completing her workday.
Ada Doss, aged 27, was reportedly gunned down by 41-year-old Matthew James Taylor on Tuesday afternoon in the parking lot of the DCH Regional Medical Center located in Tuscaloosa.
Authorities revealed that Taylor had arrived at the hospital earlier that day, seeking assistance for reasons that remain unspecified. However, he never made it inside the facility.
Instead, Taylor lingered around the hospital grounds for several hours. According to a report from Fox8, he allegedly attempted to rob another woman earlier that afternoon by brandishing a handgun and demanding she exit her vehicle.
Fortunately, the woman managed to drive away unharmed. Shortly after this incident, Taylor allegedly confronted Doss as she made her way to her car at the end of her shift.
In what appears to have been an attempted robbery, Taylor reportedly tried to snatch Doss’s purse, leading to a confrontation during which he fatally shot her.
Authorities said Doss died at the scene, while Taylor allegedly went through her purse and tried to steal her car.
The tragedy comes just weeks after Doss welcomed her second child, and she shared a smiling family selfie to her Facebook account with her baby, husband and young daughter.
Alabama nurse Ada Doss, 27, was shot dead in the parking lot of her hospital on Tuesday after a mentally ill man allegedly murdered her at random. The tragedy came just weeks after Doss welcomed her second child
Matthew James Taylor, 41, allegedly murdered Doss in a random attack after loitering at her hospital parking lot for hours
Tuscaloosa police said they found Taylor still armed and only feet away from Doss’s body when he was taken into custody.
The suspect was showing signs of mental illness at the time, police said.
Authorities added that they do not believe there is any connection between Taylor and Doss, and the pair had never met before he allegedly shot her at random in the parking lot.
Taylor is now facing capital murder charges.
Doss’s hospital said that staff were heartbroken by her death, writing in a statement: ‘We are all grieving today. Ada Doss was a member of our DCH family.
‘This tragic crime was the result of a mental health crisis that could have taken place anywhere, but regretfully, it took place in our parking lot.’
‘An unhealthy man did a horrific thing, and I know we all have fear and anxiety right now. We have heightened security measures to ensure all of our employees feel safe.’
Doss, a mother-of-two, had just finished her shift at the hospital when she was approached at her car and shot dead
Doss was found dead outside DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa (pictured), where she had worked for almost two years
Police at the scene of the deadly shooting
A former DCH employee, who did not give their name, told CBS42 that Doss worked at the hospital for almost two years.
The worker said safety at the parking lot had been a concern of hers for some time, and argued that additional security could have prevented the tragedy.
‘I feel as though they should put like a security booth out there,’ the former employee said.
‘If it was gated in, or whatever, it would be hard for someone else to just come in from the outside and get in.’
Another worker added that they also felt security should be in place given that many people with mental health issues visit hospitals, as ‘security needs to be better, and that’s not just DCH, that’s healthcare wise everywhere, and parking in general should be a top priority for employees.’
The outlet reported that Tuscaloosa Police also handled a separate robbery incident at the hospital just a week before Doss’s death.
In response to security concerns, the hospital said in a statement: ‘We have heightened security measures to ensure all of our employees feel safe – escorts to cars, police presence, enhanced lights, shuttle services and we will continue to look for ways to make sure our caregivers and patients feel safe at DCH.’
