Police locate man after Logan Hospital plunged into lockdown

Patients and visitors to Logan Hospital have described the confusion and fear as the facility was locked down amid reports of a person armed with a gun.

Police are responding to reports an armed man is inside Logan Hospital. Picture: NCA NewsWIRE / John Gass

Police have located a man after a major Queensland hospital was plunged into lockdown following reports of a person armed with a gun.

A code black (personal threat incident) was triggered at Logan Hospital with police called at 11.20am, with patients forced to lock themselves inside rooms.

After a thorough search of the area, police confirmed a man was located and that no threat was detected.

Officers have spoken to the man and police said no further action would be taken.

The lockdown of the hospital has been lifted as of 1:15pm.

Police said there was no ongoing threat to the public, however they were still limiting people entering and leaving the hospital.

Tameika Baker-Henry was only 10 minutes away from getting her blood test results in the pathology area of the hospital when she heard police screaming for people to move and clear the corridors.

The heavily pregnant local resident said she saw about 20 police officers enter the corridor where they started to usher a group of patients into a cafe.

“There were people running up and down the hallways, because at first they said that he’d gotten out into the car park...but they couldn’t find him, and then they realised that he was still in the hospital. So everyone was kind of freaking out,” Ms Baker-Henry said.

“It was really hectic, there was even an older lady who was bound to a chair - she couldn’t walk or anything - and she’d just been left pretty much out in the open. So a police officer had to walk her into the safety of the cafe.”

Ms Baker-Henry said there were different stories floating around about what weapons were involved, as well as how many people, which left the group packed into the cafe terrified.

Along with several older patients, there were mothers and children inside the locked room with them.

Woodridge local Reylien Wessling had just been discharged when the hospital went into lockdown.

“The way I was getting updates is because I was listening to the radios the police officers have on them and eventually there were people starting to get frustrated, and when they kept telling us to stay away from the windows, that’s when we were like, well, someone’s obviously got a firearm or something if you’re telling us to keep away from the windows,” she said.

“I just wanted to cry my eyes out because I was freaking out...especially because of the Bondi attack that just happened recently, I was thinking is this going to be a repeat of the Bondi attack?”

Alongside her partner, Ms Baker-Henry hid behind a table and chair to protect her child and began texting her mum to alert her of what was happening.

“Being pregnant I couldn’t even do anything and I was thinking how am I going to get away, I’m heavily pregnant and I can’t run quickly,” she said.

“There were so many of us crammed in this room and if someone came through those doors, even with police there, I can’t help thinking we would’ve been screwed.”

She said it was a relief there was no firearm involved, however she and many others who were locked down remain shaken from the experience.

Woodridge resident Reylien Wessling had just been discharged from hospital that morning when she was told the building was under lockdown.

“We were under lockdown for 45 minutes. It was very scary I am still shaking,” Mrs Wessling said.

“My husband was coming to pick me up but he couldn’t until the lockdown had been lifted.”

Kingston resident Gaye Napier was waiting in the day surgery department waiting husband to go into surgery for his toe when the incident happened.

“It all went really quiet I couldn’t understand why I hadn’t heard whether my other half had gone into surgery,” Mrs Napier explained.

“I went outside for a second and that is when I got told we were going into lockdown.

“It was awful, I didn’t know what was happening with my husband.

“He has only just gone into surgery now because of the delay.”

Mrs Napier’s daughter, Renee Ryan was horrified to hear what had happened.

“My anxiety just went through the roof when my mum told me. Police wouldn’t let me get in to see either of them,” Ms Ryan said.

Boronia Heights local Jacob Gray was about to visit his grandfather in hospital with his grandmother Betty Barry when he received a text that Logan Hospital had been put into lockdown.

“We were so confused we didn’t know what was happening,” Mr Gray explained.

“Fortunately, my grandpa is in a respiratory ward so he was away from where the man was.

“But it was very scary we couldn’t get in for a while.”

Kingston resident Gaye Napier and daughter Renee Ryan

Logan and Beaudesert Health Service executive director Anne Coccetti confirmed the hospital was now open and safe for both emergency and planned care.

“An incident was managed by the Queensland Police Service (QPS) earlier today, but it has now been resolved. The safety of our patients, staff, and the community is our top priority,” Ms Coccetti said.

“During the incident, ambulances were temporarily diverted to nearby hospitals, and a small number of appointments were delayed.”

She also confirmed there were no injuries related to the incident and all patients, visitors and staff were safe.

“We would like to thank the QPS and our dedicated staff for their quick and effective implementation of incident response procedures.

“We apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank everyone for their patience.”

Earlier, access to the public had been restricted with a witness on social media claimed the gunman was armed with a rifle.

“A guy came up the ramp with a rifle. Everyone rushed in and got taken out of the waiting room to behind the solid door,” a community board comment on a post regarding the incident read.

“Hospital is on code black. The gunman is outside. We’ve been in lockdown for almost an hour.”

Patient Marg Evans went to the hospital for a pediatrician appointment.

“We are ushered off to a private room,” she said during the lockdown.

“We are here until it’s safe to be let out.”