Nancy Swift, RN, and her husband, Tony, in a recent Facebook photo.

A longtime nursing manager was shot and killed Wednesday night by a central sterile supply worker she had reportedly just fired or was about to fire.

Nancy Swift, RN, 63, was killed in or near her second-floor office near the operating room at University of Alabama at Birmingham Highlands Hospital, say police. The gunman, 31-year-old reprocessing tech Trevis Devon Coleman, shot Ms. Swift after she'd reportedly disciplined him. Reports differ on the timeline, some saying Mr. Coleman brandished a gun on the spot and opened fire after Ms. Swift reprimanded or fired him, others saying he returned a short time later with a gun.

Alleged shooter Trevis Coleman

Mr. Coleman also shot Tim Isley, 28, a contract employee from Steris who was working at the hospital as the instrument management supervisor. Mr. Isley was rushed to the main UAB hospital where he underwent emergency surgery and was reportedly in critical but stable condition.

After shooting the pair, Mr. Coleman shot and killed himself with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Mr. Coleman was pronounced dead on the scene at 7:35 p.m., say police.

UAB Hospital System officials did not release details, other than to say that the shootings forced the hospital to cancel all of Thursday's scheduled surgeries and that the hospital's metal detectors were working and they didn't know how Mr. Coleman was able to bring a gun on the premises.

Dan O'Connor