YORK, Pa. — Nancy Duarte Matarese stood in the quiet confines of a small family room at WellSpan York Hospital on Saturday, her heart sinking with every passing second. Escorted there from UPMC Memorial Hospital, just a short distance away, she could sense the weight of what awaited her. Her son, Andrew Duarte, a police officer with the West York Borough Police Department, had been involved in a shooting incident earlier that day. As she stood in that sterile, unfamiliar space, a mother’s intuition took hold. “I thought to myself, ‘This isn’t good, because if he was still with us, they would take me to him,’” she later recalled. The dread that had been building within her crystallized into a devastating reality: Andrew, her only child, was gone, killed in the line of duty during a violent confrontation that shattered the peace of a place meant for healing.
The events unfolded on Saturday morning at UPMC Memorial Hospital, a medical center on the outskirts of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. A gunman, later identified as 49-year-old Diogenes Archangel Ortiz, stormed into the facility armed with a handgun, zip ties, and a clear purpose. Authorities say Ortiz made his way directly to the hospital’s intensive care unit, where he took hostages in a tense standoff that ended in gunfire. Several people were injured during the ordeal, and Officer Andrew Duarte, responding to the crisis, lost his life. The tragedy left a community grappling with shock and sorrow, mourning the loss of a dedicated public servant described by his mother as a man with a “warrior heart and a warrior spirit.”
Less than a day later, Duarte Matarese found herself standing before a growing memorial outside the West York Borough Police Department. Flowers, candles, and balloons adorned the site, placed there by residents seeking to honor the fallen officer. Speaking to reporters, she painted a vivid picture of her son—a young man not yet in his thirties, driven by a deep sense of duty and compassion. Andrew had been with the department for several years, earning the respect of colleagues and neighbors alike. His death, she said, left an unfillable void, not just in her life but in the fabric of the tight-knit community he served.
Investigators have since pieced together details of the harrowing incident. York County District Attorney Tim Baker revealed that Ortiz appeared to have a specific motive tied to the ICU. Earlier in the week, the suspect had visited the unit for a medical matter involving another person, suggesting the attack was premeditated rather than random.
Armed with materials indicating an intent to restrain others, Ortiz’s actions pointed to a calculated plan that unraveled into chaos. The confrontation with law enforcement, including Officer Duarte, brought the situation to a tragic close, leaving authorities and residents searching for answers about how such violence could erupt in a place of care.
The ripple effects of the shooting reached far beyond the hospital walls. Tad Pequignot, a local resident, recounted the terror his wife experienced while working in the ICU that day. “She texted me, saying she loved me and didn’t know if she’d make it out,” he said, his voice heavy with the memory of those uncertain hours. For Mary Eck, a lifelong York resident, the incident shattered a sense of security she once took for granted. Stopping by the memorial on Sunday afternoon, she reflected on the unsettling reality: “A hospital? You’d think you’d be safe, but it’s just not anymore.”
As the community mourns, the focus remains on Andrew Duarte’s legacy. His mother’s words linger as a poignant tribute to a son who embodied courage and selflessness. The memorial outside the police department continues to grow, a testament to the lives he touched in his short time as an officer. For York, a town accustomed to resilience, the path forward involves not just healing but honoring a young man whose warrior heart met an unthinkable end. The investigation into Ortiz’s motives and actions presses on, but for now, the story is one of loss—and a mother’s unwavering love for the son she’ll never hold again.