Vigil, minute of silence to be held Wednesday for healthcare workers killed in Dallas hospital shooting

DALLAS – Candlelight vigils and a minute of silence will be held on Wednesday to honor the two healthcare workers killed in a shooting at Methodist Dallas Medical Center on Saturday.

45-year-old social worker Jacqueline Pokuaa and 63-year-old nurse Annette Flowers were shot and killed in the mother/baby unit of the hospital.

Flowers’ family says he had been a nurse for 41 years and worked at Methodist for the last 14 years.

Flowers was a single mother to 4 children, and had 5 grandchildren.

The family has put up a GoFundMe page to help with the cost of her funeral and other arrangements. 

FOX 4 is working to find family members of Pokuaa. 

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins tweeted he is working to bring Pokuaa’s mother from Ghana for her funeral.

Wednesday’s vigils are scheduled for 6:15 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. on the Pavilion 2 parking garage.

Organizers say the vigils will serve as a time to process the shooting, show support for the nurses on the 4th floor, honor the efforts by Methodist PD and commit to holding Methodist accountable for staff members safety and security.

The Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council announced it would observe a minute of silence from noon to 12:01 on Wednesday in honor of the employees.

“During the one-minute time frame on October 26, we would like everyone to focus on two important thoughts,” Love said. “First, offer your prayers and condolences to Jackie Pokuaa and Annette Flowers and to their families. Second, ask yourself, ‘What can we do to help stop this violence?’” said Stephen Love, the president and CEO of the DFW Hospital Council.

The hospital council says it will be an opportunity for North Texans to reflect on the loss of the caregivers and healthcare workers, along with the growing rate of workplace violence in hospitals since the start of the pandemic.

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The hospital system said Monday it is adding uniformed officers around the building and it has scheduled additional meetings for its Methodist Dallas Medical Center Safety and Security Steering committee.