Potential Donor Shoots Himself at Ohio Hospital

A man walked into a hospital, handed the admissions clerk a note saying he wanted to donate his organs and then shot himself in the head, police said Thursday.

Greg Houston, 46, of Delaware was taken by helicopter to another hospital about 20 miles away in Columbus, where he was in critical condition Thursday, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Houston walked into Grady Memorial Hospital’s emergency room Wednesday night and handed an envelope to the clerk at the registration desk.

He then said, “Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you,” placed a .22-caliber handgun to his head and shot himself, police Capt. Mark Drum said.

Inside the envelope was a note detailing Houston’s organ donation plan and financial information regarding his funeral. It did not say why Houston wanted to kill himself, Drum said.

Houston owned a music shop and played guitar in a local band.

“He’s been one of the more active downtown businessmen,” Drum said. “He rents a lot of various musical equipment to high school bands and did a lot of instruction.”

A man who answered the phone at the music store wouldn’t comment Thursday.

Houston was arrested last September for criminal trespassing and disorderly conduct but had no other problems with the law, Drum said. Houston was allegedly involved in a dispute with a business next door, Drum said.