Bobby Smallwood's co-workers break silence after hero guard is fatally shot while protecting hospital birthing center

THE colleagues of a security guard who was killed during a hospital shooting have spoken out, calling him a hero.

Bobby Smallwood worked at the Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital in Portland, Oregon, where he was fatally shot on Saturday morning.

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Smallwood was struck by gunfire reportedly near the birthing center by a suspect who police later killed while attempting to take into custody.

“Other people would have gotten hurt if it wasn’t for him,” Elana Scharff, general surgery nurse practitioner, told local CBS affiliate KOIN.

Scharff insisted that Smallwood died a hero protecting both patients and staff in the hospital.

“He was always like, ‘I’m gonna take care of you,’ like just was a protector, you know?" Scarff recalled.

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"And even if I didn’t know him that well, every person in our sphere, our little healthcare ecosystem, is so important."

Smallwood died from his injuries at a Level 1 trauma center, local Fox affiliate KPTV reported.

“When I heard the name, that it was Bobby, I just was in shock,” Amy Al-Khalisi, an ER tech at Legacy Emanuel, told KOIN.

Al-Khalisi trained Smallwood when he joined Legacy Health three years ago as a screener during Covid-19.

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Smallwood was “soft spoken, a big teddy bear, but would do anything for anybody and step in front of a car to save anybody. And now a bullet," Al-Khalisi said.

“I want people to remember him as a gentle giant that looked like a big football player and has a heart of gold but would literally save anyone if he had to — which he proved that,” she added.

Scharff said hearing about Smallwood's death has been very traumatic for everyone.

“Somehow [the shooter] got around these things that we had in place that are supposed to protect us,” Scharff said.

“I just want this to never happen again and I want to feel safe at work. And I never want anyone to have, to have to deal with this tragedy.”

The shooter, who hasn't been publicly identified, fled the hospital but was found by police a few hours later.

He was fatally shot as they tried to take him into custody.

A second hospital employee was injured by shrapnel from the gunshots.

They were treated and released from a hospital later on Saturday.

Smallwood's family shared tributes on social media.

The security guard's cousin Rachel Milligan Moreno posted about his death on Facebook.

"Please pray for my family as we lost my cousin Bobby Smallwood yesterday as he was protecting the birthing center at a hospital," she said.

"Please pray for his Mom, dad, brother and sister as they are dealing with the shock. We love you so much Bobby! Our hearts are broken."

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She added that "a cousin is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost."

The U.S. Sun approached the Portland Police Bureau for comment, but there are currently no new updates.