Security Guard Kills Knife Attacker in Newburgh Hospital ER, DA to Review

A confrontation in the emergency room at Montefiore St. Luke's Cornwall Hospital in Newburgh ended with a private security guard shooting and killing a 45 year old man identified by police as Carlos Ortiz on the night of November 13, 2025. Police say Ortiz pulled a fire alarm and acted disorderly, and when security intervened he produced a knife and attacked a security guard. The guard fired and Ortiz was later pronounced dead.

A woman in the ER, identified as Chamika Hathurusinghe, was struck in the leg by the same bullet that killed the suspect. She underwent surgery and the hospital said she is expected to be OK. The hospital issued a statement saying "its priority is a safe, secure environment for patients and staff, and it thanked public safety and City of Newburgh police for their response."

Because the shooter was a private security guard, rather than a sworn police officer, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office will review whether the shooting was justified. That review will be closely watched by patients, hospital staff, and community advocates who want clarity about when private guards may use lethal force inside health care facilities.

The incident unfolds at the intersection of public safety and public health. Emergency departments serve as a last line of care for people in crisis, including those with behavioral health needs. Violent episodes in ERs can disrupt care for many patients, traumatize staff, and strain already limited resources. For local residents, the shooting may increase worry about safety when seeking emergency care, and it may heighten calls for better protocols to protect both patients and clinicians.

Community equity concerns follow this kind of incident. Hospitals and county officials will need to consider who is most affected by aggressive security tactics, how decisions about force are made, and whether investments in trained crisis response staff could reduce the need for armed intervention. The role of private security in health care settings raises questions about training requirements, accountability, and transparency that are handled differently than for sworn police officers.

In the days ahead the Orange County District Attorney’s Office review will determine whether criminal charges are warranted. Hospital leaders have said they are cooperating with public safety agencies. For Orange County residents the broader policy questions remain pressing. County and hospital officials may be asked to clarify security policies in emergency departments, expand nonviolent crisis intervention resources, and engage with community groups to rebuild trust.

This episode is a reminder that emergency rooms are both medical spaces and civic spaces, where health policy, public safety, and social services intersect. How local leaders respond will affect not only this hospital but public confidence in care across the county.