A Chicago-area doctor was among those killed Thursday in an attack at a charity-based children's hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan, colleagues confirmed.
Dr. Jerry Umanos was a pediatrician at Lawndale Christian Health Center for more than 16 years, according to a biography on the center's website. He worked in Kabul in the only two medical facilities that offer medical training programs for Afghan doctors.
Dr. Bruce Rowell said Umanos' death is a great loss to his family, those with whom he worked and the people of Afghanistan, adding that Umanos' volunteered his time to train medical residents for nearly a decade.
"We have lost a dear friend," said LCHC's Chief Ministry Officer James Brooks. "Please pray for us at this time."
"It's going to be rough because Dr. Umanos saw a lot of patients. The kids loved him and especially the parents, you know," said colleague Alice Moore. "It's going to be rough. It's going to be rough on everybody. Imagine the staff. I can't imagine what it's going to do to the patients.
Officials said it was a rogue security officer who shot and killed Americans at the CURE Hospital, operated by the Pennsylvania-based CURE International. The facility is situated in a walled compound next to the American University of Afghanistan in the western part of the city. An American woman was shot but survived. The gunman shot himself and also survived.
- NBC News: Three Americans Slain at CURE Hospital
CURE International has been serving the Afghan people since 2002 and began operating the hospital in Kabul in 2005 at the invitation of the government of Afghanistan, the charity's Chief Financial Officer, Mark Knecht, said in a statement. The hospital is focused on maternity and pediatric care and serves 37,000 patients a year, he said.
Umanos attended medical school at the Wayne State University School of Medicine and did residency at the Children's Hospital of Michigan, his biography stated.
Colleagues said Umanos is survived by his wife, Jan, and three grown children.
No one answered the door at Umanos' Chicago home. A note on the door simply read, "Please respect our privacy. We have nothing to say right now."
