Peter D. Wright, RN, 44, was fatally shot March 27 at his workplace, Doctors Hospital in Columbus, Georgia, where he was the charge nurse for the critical care and telemetry units. Columbus police confirmed that the gunman, Charles Johnston, 63, apparently held a grudge about the care his mother had received at the hospital before her 2004 death and believed Wright had been her nurse. The police reviewed hospital records that showed no indication that she had ever been Wright's patient.
Also killed were Leslie A. Harris, 44, an administrative assistant, and James Baker, 76, a bystander shot outside the hospital, reported the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer. The gunman has been charged with murder, the Ledger-Enquirer reported.
When Dan Thomas, RN, arrived for his shift in the wake of the shooting, he said he found an atmosphere of shock and sorrow, which remained when he spoke with AJN a week later. Thomas, who works in the critical care unit, described Wright as a great leader and a resource for everyone in the hospital, a nurse with "clinical skills second to none."
Wright was soft-spoken, said Michael Firth, DDS, who employed Wright's wife as a dental hygienist for 15 years. He was impressed by Wright's willingness to lend a hand on building projects even before they knew each other very well.
"He had a genuine concern [for others; that's] why he went into nursing," said Firth. When Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, Wright spent two weeks nursing in the disaster area, Firth noted. Wright, a former Marine, is survived by his wife and 14-year-old daughter.
Funds have been established for contributions in support of Wright's and Harris's families. For information go to http://www.columbusregional.com/pdf/fundscrhs.pdf.
Jennifer Moser