Northside Hospital holds day of reflection after Atlanta Midtown mass shooting

ATLANTA, Ga. — Northside Hospital called for a day of reflection just two days after a mass shooter injured four people and killed one person at the center.

“I’m sad. I’m sad that things like this happen,” said Pediatrician, Dr. Philip Spandorfer.

“Doctors’ offices are soft targets. We don’t have any security,” he added.

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Dr. Philip Spandorfer said he was seeing patients at his practice, at the same time of the mass shooting at Northside Medical Center.

“When we found out that it was actually in a doctor’s office, in the waiting room, that’s when it became more real and felt like it hit closer to home,” Dr. Spandorfer explained.

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In a statement, officials with Northside Hospital wrote in part:

“The Northside Hospital family is grieving. We deeply love and support the employees and patients who were directly involved, as well as others impacted in different ways. As we process what happened and how it is affecting us, please take a moment or two, pause and reflect on the week, the victims and their families. Let us hope that this kind of tragedy never happens again - not to us, not to anyone.”

Dr. Philip Spandorfer told Channel 2′s Audrey Washington that he’s taking the time to properly deal with the tragedy, but he said the thought of what happened, still hurts.

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“This is the exact opposite of why we go into medicine, to help people,” Spandorfer said. “And someone is out there doing the exact opposite of what a doctor wants to do.”

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