On January 21, 2023, Jerry Gilland, a 77-year-old terminally ill patient, was fatally shot by his wife, Ellen Gilland, 76, in his hospital room at AdventHealth Daytona Beach in Florida. The incident occurred as part of a planned suicide pact, according to Ellen Gilland, who claimed they had been discussing the plan for weeks. However, after shooting her husband, Ellen Gilland was unable to carry out her part of the pact and take her own life.
The shooting took place in room 1106 on the 11th floor of the hospital. Two hospital workers heard the gunshot and entered the room to find Ellen Gilland sitting beside her husband's bed, with Jerry Gilland unresponsive in a pool of blood. Ellen Gilland pointed the weapon at the staff members and ordered them to leave the room. Another hospital staffer also entered the room and was similarly told to leave.
Following the shooting, patients in nearby rooms were evacuated, and police officers lined up in the hallway with guns drawn, repeatedly yelling at Ellen Gilland to drop the gun. The standoff lasted for over four hours, during which time Ellen Gilland remained in the room. Eventually, police used a nonlethal explosive device, known as a "flashbang," to distract her. SWAT team members then entered the room and attempted to subdue Ellen Gilland with a stun gun, which was unsuccessful. She fired a shot into the ceiling before dropping the weapon and being taken into custody.
Ellen Gilland was initially charged with first-degree murder and aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer. However, she was later indicted on lesser charges of assisting self-murder/manslaughter and aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer. She was held at the Volusia County Jail until her release on $150,000 bond.
The incident raised questions about hospital security, as it remains unclear how Ellen Gilland managed to bring a firearm into the hospital. The hospital staff and police had to navigate a complex and dangerous situation, with patients on ventilators needing to be evacuated, which was described as a "logistical nightmare." The hospital and law enforcement praised the coordinated effort that ensured no other staff or patients were injured during the incident.
