The morning of April 25, 2026, began with a routine arrest. Officers from the Chicago Police Department’s 17th District responded to a robbery in the 3200 block of West Lawrence Avenue in Albany Park. They took a suspect into custody around 9 a.m.
The suspect asked for a medical evaluation. Standard procedure. Officers transported him to Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital at 5140 North California Avenue, a facility serving the Ravenswood and Lincoln Square neighborhoods.
Officer John Bartholomew was assigned to guard duty. He was 38-year-old. A ten year veteran of the department. A husband. A father. He stood watch over the suspect while medical staff prepared for a CT scan. The prisoner had been wanded upon arrival. No weapon was detected. At approximately 10:50 a.m., while being readied for the scan, the suspect produced a concealed firearm. How he hid it remains under investigation. Where it was stored on his body is still unknown.
He opened fire. The shots were close range. Bartholomew was struck. His partner, a 57 year old officer, was also hit. Hospital staff dove for cover. Patients in nearby rooms heard the gunfire and screamed. Someone declared an active shooter situation. The hospital went into lockdown.
The suspect fled immediately after the shooting. He ran out of the building. Police officers from multiple units descended on the area. A search began. The suspect was later taken into custody. Multiple weapons were recovered during the investigation. No hospital staff or patients were injured. Only the two officers who had been guarding the prisoner.
Both wounded men were rushed to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center. Doctors worked on Bartholomew for nearly two hours. He was pronounced dead just before 1 p.m. His partner remained in critical condition. CPD Superintendent Larry Snelling later described the surviving officer as “fighting for his life.”
The 17th District station lowered its flags to half staff. Officers placed black bands across their badges. A memorial of flowers, candles, and handwritten notes grew outside the precinct. Colleagues remembered Bartholomew as a dedicated public servant who had chosen a dangerous profession and understood the risks. His family released a brief statement asking for privacy.
Funeral arrangements were later announced at St. Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Church. The department will provide a full honors burial. The suspect now faces multiple charges, including first degree murder of a peace officer. The hospital has stated it is cooperating fully with law enforcement and reviewing its security protocols.
A man was arrested for a robbery. He asked to go to the hospital. Officers took him there. He hid a weapon. He waited. He fired. A 38 year old husband and father died. His partner fights for his life. And a Chicago hospital that was supposed to be a place of healing became a place of death.