Social Worker in Critical Condition After Being Brutally Stabbed by Hospital Patient

A social worker is in critical condition after being stabbed by a patient at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital on Thursday afternoon, leaving hospital staff shaken, authorities said.

The 31-year-old University of California San Francisco social worker was attacked by a 35-year-old man wielding a kitchen knife, suffering multiple stab wounds, including injuries to the neck and shoulder, according to the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office.

The incident occurred around 1:30 p.m. after hospital staff had requested extra security for a doctor who had received threats from a patient in Ward 86. “While providing security for the doctor, our sheriff’s deputy heard a disturbance unfolding in the hallway involving the suspect, who was attacking a social worker,” the sheriff’s office said.

Deputies intervened and restrained the suspect. Medical staff performed lifesaving measures, including CPR, and the victim was rushed to the operating room in critical condition. Authorities recovered a 5-inch kitchen knife believed to have been used in the attack.

The suspect, who was at the hospital for an appointment, was taken into custody. Officials emphasized that hospital staff and patients in the area were understandably shaken, but there is no ongoing threat to the public.