Facility Worker at Long-Term Care Center Shot and Killed by Resident

Facility managers and maintenance workers at long-term care buildings help protect the health and safety of building residents by making sure the premise is clean, well-ventilated, and safe from floods, tornados, and other disasters. It is unusual for these workers to lose their life because of a building resident they are working to protect, as happened to a nursing home facility worker in Colorado last week, Healthcare Facilities Today reports.

Facilities maintenance director Ricardo Medina-Rojas, who had worked at an assisted living center in Lafayette, Colorado, was allegedly shot and killed by a 95-year-old resident who accused the worker of stealing cash from his wallet.

The alleged shooter, Okey Payne, was charged with first degree murder, and two counts of menacing with a weapon, The Edwardsville Intelligencer reported.

Firearms are not allowed at the assisted living center and staff had previously taken away two of Payne’s weapon and locked them in a storage facility. However, Payne still had his father’s pistol from World War I which he allegedly used to shoot Medina-Rojas.

Medina-Rojas has worked at the center for eight years and was described as a “dedicated, hardworking, and caring employee who was well-liked by residents and staff.”

People with guns pose a complicated threat to facility safety. Learn what actions facility mangers should take when there is an active shooter in the building.