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An inquest will be held into the deaths of a married couple who died by gunfire during an altercation at Northumberland Hills Hospital in Cobourg, Ont., in 2017.
Dr. Paul Dungey, regional supervising coroner for the East Region in Kingston, has scheduled an 11-day inquest into the deaths of Gladys Helen Ryan and William Thomas Ryan.
According to police and Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit, while the couple were in hospital, William, 70, shot his 76-year-old wife on Oct. 27. Both were on separate gurneys in the emergency department around 11 p.m. when the shooting occurred.
Police say the man had been taken by an ambulance from their home in a trailer at Salem Woods Trailer Park. His wife arrived in a separate ambulance later that evening.
According to Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit, the husband was subsequently shot by two Cobourg Police Service officers.
READ MORE: ‘Everyone stay in your room’ — Elderly couple dead after shooting in Cobourg, Ont. hospital
The SIU later cleared police of any wrongdoing in the incident, noting they were initially informed the man claimed his wife shot herself. The SIU says that when officers entered a triage room, the man pointed a firearm at them and ignored officers’ demands to put down the weapon.
The SIU noted that a health-care worker had been assigned to the couple because Helen was concerned with her husband’s safety over a recent obsession with taking his own life.
The inquest into William Ryan’s death is mandatory under the Coroners Act. The Chief Coroner has directed a combined inquest be held regarding both individuals, Dungey noted.
The inquest will examine the circumstances surrounding the deaths. A jury may make recommendations aimed at preventing further deaths.
The inquest, scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. on Sept. 18, is expected to hear from approximately 18 witnesses. Murray Segal will be the presiding officer. Maria Stevens and Michally Iny will be inquest counsel.
The inquest will be conducted by video conference. Members of the public who wish to view the proceedings can do so using an online link to the inquest into the deaths of Gladys Helen Ryan and William Thomas Ryan.
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