Security guard killed in hospital shooting and responding trooper hailed as heroes

A security guard killed in a shooting at a New Hampshire hospital and a responding state trooper who fatally shot the suspect are being hailed as heroes, with officials saying the tragic incident could have been "a lot worse."

The shooting was reported around 3:40 p.m. on Friday and occurred entirely in the lobby of the New Hampshire State Hospital in Concord, police said.

The suspect entered the hospital lobby and shot the security guard, according to New Hampshire State Police Director Col. Mark Hall. A state trooper assigned to the hospital who was on the campus "immediately" responded and shot and killed the suspect, Hall said.

"All indications are that the actions of this trooper saved a lot of lives and that this trooper's actions were heroic," New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella said during a press briefing on Saturday.

The identity of the trooper is not being released at this time per protocol, Formella said.

The security guard was administered CPR on site and transported to Concord Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Hall said.

The attorney general identified the security guard as Bradley Haas, 63, a former chief of police for the Franklin Police Department. Haas also served for three years in the U.S. Army, Formella said.

"Chief Haas was already a hero when he walked into work yesterday given his service to our country, to our state and to his community. But he will now be remembered forever as a man who died protecting patients, staff and visitors at New Hampshire Hospital," Formella said. "So we cannot say enough how grateful we are to him for his service and words cannot express the condolences that we would like to send to his family, friends and loved ones."

Formella added that without the actions of Haas and the trooper on the scene, "this could have been a lot worse."

The attorney general identified the suspect as John Madore, 33, a transient man who had recently stayed at a hotel in the area.

"We were still gathering facts and information and we will work to gather additional information about Mr. Madore and why he did this and what led up to this tragic incident," Formella said.

An AR-style rifle, a tactical vest and several magazines of ammunition were found in a U-Haul truck in the hospital's parking lot, Hall said. Investigators are still working on what link Madore had -- if any -- to the truck, the hospital or the victim.

All patients are safe, Hall said.

"I am extremely proud of the trooper's actions that without a doubt prevented additional loss of life," Hall said.

New Hampshire Health and Human Services Commissioner Lori Weaver said at the scene she was "shocked and saddened" by the incident.

"This has been a traumatic incident for the hospital, our law enforcement, our first responder colleagues, our department and our wider community," she said on Saturday.

The hospital is open to patients but currently closed to visitors, Weaver said. A call center has been set up for families to reach patients while the hospital works to resume visitor access, she said.

ABC News' Jessica Gorman and Matt Foster contributed to this report.