Nicholas Pagano traveling nurse wanted for beating & setting colleague on fire at Hackensack NJ medical facility one day earlier found dead after killing self.
A contracted traveling nurse suspected of viciously attacking a colleague and then setting her on fire at a NJ medical facility on Monday was found dead less than 24 hours later of a self inflicted gunshot wound according to authorities.
Nicholas Pagano’s body was discovered Tuesday morning in Waterford Township in a suspected suicide the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office said. The man was found deceased after self inflicting a mortal gunshot wound to the chest.
Pagano who attacked his victim a day before at Hackensack University Medical Center, had been wanted on charges of attempted murder, aggravated arson,
aggravated assault and unlawful weapons possession.
The 31-year-old traveling nurse hailing from West Deptford allegedly confronted a patient care technician around 5:15 a.m. Monday in a hospital break room. Authorities said he hit the woman with a wrench and set her on fire CBSNY reported.
The 54-year-old victim suffered third-degree burns along with needing stitches on her head according to prosecutors. She was treated at the emergency room before being transferred to another hospital.
Had been acting erratically of late
‘Our thoughts and prayers are with her and her family,’ hospital spokesman Ben Goldstein told NJ.com. ‘Hackensack Meridian Health strongly condemns any act of violence.’
Pagano had been working as a contractor at the hospital since November. According to the hospital, he cleared a full audit, including state and county background checks conducted through a third party.
Investigators believe Pagano used a gun stolen from his brother’s home to kill himself NBC New York reported.
According to the report, Pagano’s neighbors said he had been acting erratically of late, running around in a bathrobe, cursing and screaming, doing karate in their parking lot and talking to himself.
A hospital spokesperson told NJ.com that nobody witnessed Monday’s incident and a motive remains unclear.
