‘HIV-Positive’ Man Targets Hospital Workers with Infected Blood in Sickening Assault

A disturbing attack inside a North Carolina emergency room left two hospital employees exposed to HIV after a patient allegedly used his own blood as a weapon.

Authorities say 25-year-old Kameron Gilchrist turned violent while being treated at UNC Rex Hospital in Raleigh last March. According to police, he ripped out an IV line and deliberately sprayed his infected blood into the faces and eyes of two medical workers who had been trying to help him.

“This was not an accident — it was a deliberate assault,” one investigator told local reporters, describing the scene as “chaotic, dangerous, and traumatic for everyone involved.”

Records show Gilchrist, who was reportedly undergoing treatment for diabetes, remained hospitalized for both medical and psychiatric care following the attack. His arrest was delayed nearly six months while he received ongoing treatment.

In December, Gilchrist pleaded guilty to two counts of assault with a deadly weapon. Court records show he was sentenced to 91 days in jail but was released immediately after receiving credit for time already served. Without the plea deal, prosecutors say he could have faced up to seven years behind bars.

A spokesperson for UNC Rex Health declined to discuss the case specifically but issued a statement acknowledging a growing trend of aggression toward medical personnel.

“Unfortunately, violent situations and threats of violence against health workers have become more common across the country,” the spokesperson said. “Our teams continue to focus on safety and support for all staff and patients.”

The incident underscores a nationwide surge in violence against health care professionals. The American Hospital Association reported a sharp rise in assaults on medical staff since the pandemic, citing increased patient frustration, mental health crises, and substance abuse as key factors.

For those exposed, the trauma extends far beyond physical risk. Medical experts say being splattered with potentially infectious blood is “every clinician’s nightmare.” One emergency nurse from Charlotte told reporters, “You go into medicine to save lives — not to fear for your own.”

Gilchrist’s case is being cited by some advocates as a call for tougher penalties and better hospital security. “There must be accountability,” said one North Carolina lawmaker, “because no nurse or doctor should ever be attacked while doing their job.”