Stabbing at Newark, N.J., hospital leaves 3 medical workers wounded

A stabbing incident at the Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in New Jersey left two nurses and one medical resident wounded Friday, following a domestic dispute with visitors in the hospital’s pediatric ICU.

Hospital officials said the three staff members suffered lacerations and were rushed to the onsite emergency department with minor injuries, reports News 12 New Jersey. There were no patients or family members injured in the attack.

The incident occurred about 7 a.m. Friday, when a woman identified as Firdousi A. Abdul-Hakim, 37, is accused of attacked the staff, according to officials.

The woman reportedly became angry after employees informed her there were too many visitors and responded by taking out some sort of cutting implement she then used to launch her attack, authorities say.

Abdul-Hakim was taken into custody and faces charges, including aggravated assault and unlawful possession of a weapon, said Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé.

About 4 p.m., the hospital released an update, saying all three wounded employees had been released from the emergency department.

The hospital did go into divert status Friday morning, meaning it could not accept new ambulance arrivals during the emergency, but the status later was lifted and activities resumed as normal.

Newark police are continuing to investigate the incident.