Rochester General Hospital went into lockdown early Wednesday morning after what police described as a “social media threat” against the hospital.
Police say it was never an active threat, but they responded out of caution with a heavy police presence who remained at the hospital as of mid-morning. Only staff members are being allowed onto the RGH campus and patients needing emergency care. Ambulances were taking patients to other facilities.
The lockdown was lifted about 9:30 a.m.
Police said the FBI alerted them about 1:00 Wednesday morning to the live-streamed message from a distraught individual who threatened the hospital and a list of staff members, triggering the lockdown. He was traced to an address in East Rochester.
East Rochester police and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office responded to that address on DePaul Drive about 3:00 a.m. and tried to make contact with the man, described as a 38-year-old military veteran. They later found a man’s body inside the home, but have not yet released an identity.
Police also found a booby trap; a shotgun aimed at the front door connected to a trip wire. The bomb squad was sent in to remove it.