Fredrick “Ricky” Paul Howk III, 33, a male of White/Caucasian ethnicity, died on August 28, 2025, after a shooting inside the emergency department at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital in Youngstown, Ohio. Youngstown police described the event as an isolated incident and said officers were called to the hospital around 11:30 a.m. Investigators from the Mahoning County Coroner’s Office responded, and the hospital temporarily went on psychiatric diversion while authorities worked the scene.
In the days that followed, local reporting identified that Fredrick “Ricky” Paul Howk III, 33, Male, had taken a firearm from a Mercy Health police officer while at the hospital and then used it on himself. Family members told reporters he had been struggling with mental health issues in the months leading up to August 28, 2025. News accounts and public memorial pages recorded his death date, location in Youngstown, and age 33.
Youngstown police called the situation contained and emphasized there was no danger to patients or the public. Subsequent coverage focused on hospital safety protocols and the family’s grief, including their stated intent to pursue legal action against Mercy Health over the circumstances under which Fredrick “Ricky” Paul Howk III, 33, Male, accessed the officer’s firearm inside the emergency department. Mercy Health issued a statement noting the incident occurred in a contained area and that the system was cooperating with investigators.
As of the reporting in early September 2025, authorities had not announced any arrests, and no suspects were sought in connection with the death of Fredrick “Ricky” Paul Howk III, 33, Male, because the shooting was characterized as self-inflicted. Listings and memorial entries corroborate the date, place, and nature of his death in Youngstown, while the Mahoning County coroner’s role was to investigate as in any death involving violent means.
