A nurse at DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, was allegedly shot and killed in the hospital car park while speaking to her husband on the phone, according to a recently filed lawsuit. The lawsuit claims that Ada Chapman Doss, 27, was audibly terrified during the call when 41-year-old Matthew Taylor allegedly shot her in an attempted carjacking in May 2026.
Husband Hears Final Words
Doss had just completed her shift on 12 May 2026 and was walking to her vehicle in the DCH South parking lot while speaking to her husband, Andrew Doss. The lawsuit states: "As customary, she called her husband to discuss their respective work days, dinner plans and evening routines for their 6-month-old and two-year-old daughters."
During the call, Doss's voice filled with fear and panic as Taylor approached her armed with a gun. The complaint reads: "Tragically, Ada's husband, Andrew Doss, was forced to endure hearing his wife's last words of, 'please don't, I have babies,' seconds before Taylor shot and killed Ada."
Security Failures Alleged
The lawsuit alleges that Taylor had arrived at the DCH Emergency Room entrance earlier that day, brought by an individual who reported Taylor was "complaining of a manic episode." According to the complaint, "After being notified of Taylor's alleged manic and erratic behavior, Allied security personnel and DCH security personnel failed to assess the security threat and act to locate Taylor."
The filing claims Taylor was "allowed" to depart from the emergency room entrance and "roam freely about the DCH campus unmonitored for hours." It further asserts that hospital staff and security made no attempt to "locate and confront Taylor," despite him being "shirtless, shoeless and armed." The source of the alleged weapon remains unknown.
Legal Action and Charges
The complaint, lodged by Andrew Doss against the DCH Health Care Authority, cites wrongful death and negligence. Doss's husband and estate are seeking compensatory and punitive damages, as well as a jury trial. In the wake of the shooting, Taylor was taken into custody. On 3 June, a grand jury indicted him on three counts: capital murder, first-degree robbery, and unlawful firearm possession, according to NBC affiliate WVTM 13.
The capital murder charge relates to Doss's fatal shooting. WVTM 13 also reported that Taylor faces a first-degree robbery charge for allegedly using a firearm to carjack another woman. The third charge concerns Taylor's mental health, with the grand jury noting he is legally barred from possessing a firearm due to being of "unsound mind."
Hospital Response
A civil case was filed in Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court on Taylor's behalf by his mother, Amanda Taylor, as WBRC 6 News reported. The legal document claims Taylor arrived at DCH "seeking emergency psychiatric evaluation and treatment," but was allegedly "rejected" and "refused" emergency screening, stabilisation, treatment, or admission.
Responding to the legal action, DCH provided a statement to WBRC 6: "We would note that Mr. Taylor never entered our emergency department or any other hospital facility, was never registered as a patient, and never presented himself for care from DCH on May 12, 2026. We will allow the legal process to address the remaining facts in due course."
