LODD: Mo. FF/medic fatally stabbed by patient during transport

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A firefighter was fatally stabbed by a patient while en route to Saint Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City early on Sunday morning, according to KMBC.

Firefighter/Paramedic Graham Hoffman, 29, was critically injured when the patient he was transporting stabbed him in the chest, piercing his heart, according to a city news release. His partner immediately initiated a crew emergency, and additional Kansas City Fire Department and Kansas City Police Department personnel were dispatched to the scene.

Despite the efforts of KCFD crews during transport and medical teams at North Kansas City Hospital, Hoffman was pronounced dead after undergoing emergency surgery and treatment in the intensive care unit, city officials said.

The suspect, identified as Shanetta Bossell, 39, has been charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, third-degree assault and resisting arrest, according to the Clay County Prosecutor’s Office. A judge set her bond to $1 million, KSHB reports.

Hoffman had been a member of the Kansas City Fire Department since 2022.

“We will remember forever the service and sacrifice of Graham Hoffman of the Kansas City Fire Department. Our condolences to his family, all at KCFD, and all in our community,” Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said in a statement on X.

Lucas called Hoffman a “heroic public servant,” adding, “At just 29, Graham embodied Kansas City’s finest quality — selfless service for others.”

Interim City Manager Kimiko Gilmore also offered condolences, saying Hoffman’s “courage, compassion, and commitment to our community will never be forgotten.”

The Kansas City Fire Department will offer grief counseling and support services to members in need.

This article, originally published on April 27, was updated on April 28 with additional information.