Erlanger locked down after gang shooting victim brought for treatment

Seen on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016, in Chattanooga, Tenn., the medical towers at Erlanger Medical Center are located on the east side of the facility on Third Street near the intersection with Central Avenue.
Seen on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016, in Chattanooga, Tenn., the medical towers at Erlanger Medical Center are located on the east side of the facility on Third Street near the intersection with Central Avenue.

Erlanger Hospital barred visitors to its emergency room Monday afternoon after a victim of a gang-motivated shooting was taken there for treatment.

The lockdown was apparently to prevent gang members, either friendly or unfriendly, from entering the emergency room.

The lockdown applied to visitors only-the hospital continued to take in new patients, according to Erlanger spokeswoman Pat Charles.

The shutdown was merely a precautionary measure, Charles said, which the hospital has done "many times" in the past. "This had nothing to do with any criminal activity at the hospital," Charles said. "This was done out of an abundance of caution."

The emergency room was re-opened to visitors shortly before 2:30 p.m.

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