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A doctor at a Florida hospital for veterans was shot by a patient, a double amputee in a wheelchair, as the patient was taken to the emergency room Wednesday evening, officials said.

Larry Ray Bon, 59, of Michigan, opened fire with a handgun about 6:20 p.m. at West Palm Beach VA Medical Center, Justin Fleck, assistant special agent in charge at the Miami FBI Office, said at a news conference Wednesday night.

The doctor was struck while attempting to subdue the man.

"It was very brave,” Fleck said of the doctor, who has not been identified. “He was pretty heroic and probably saved a lot of lives."

The physician was transported to a local hospital and released Wednesday evening, Fleck said. A second VA employee was also grazed and suffered minimal injuries, officials said.

Bon served in the U.S. Army for just over a month in the 1970s, and his double amputation is not thought to be the result of any military-related service, according to the FBI.

A spokesperson for the hospital said that the facility has been secured and that appointments and procedures scheduled for Thursday would not be affected.