Four people have been killed in a shooting spree at a hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Police said.
Officers confirmed that the suspected shooter, who was armed with a rifle and a handgun, is also dead. According to Police, they arrived at the St. Francis Hospital shooting scene early enough, which they said ensured the death toll wasn’t higher.
Multiple injuries were confirmed, officials added. Speaking at a Press Conference, Deputy Police Chief, Eric Dalgleish said: “Right now we have four civilians that are dead, and one shooter that is dead.” He added that the shooter, who is yet to be identified, sustained fatal gunshot wounds which were believed to have been self-inflicted. Report by the Police suggested that the suspect “had one long gun and one handgun on the scene at the time”, Dalgleish said.
Motive Behind the Attack
Police intimated that no information is available about a possible motivation for the attack.
Deputy Dalgleish said that police received a call about an active shooter at 16:52 local (20:52 GMT) on Wednesday, June 1, 2022, and arrived at the scene within three minutes. “The officers who did arrive did hear shots in the building and that’s what directed them to the second floor,” he said.
Officers are currently interviewing witnesses throughout the building, including those who were on the second floor, to ascertain where the attack took place. Speaking to the media, Captain Richard Meulenberg said that by the time the Police arrived at the medical campus they “found a few people have been shot” and some of them already dead. It was a “catastrophic scene”, he said.
So far, US President, Joe Biden, has been briefed on the Tulsa shooting, White House officials said in a statement. Last Saturday, May 28, 2022, President Biden urged Americans to make their voices heard to prevent further gun violence, following the killing of 19 children and two teachers at a school in Texas.
Police Report After Investigations
After investigations, findings by the Police revealed that the gunman, after killing three employees and a patient was targeting the surgeon who performed a surgery at his back.
Dr. Preston Phillips was killed in Wednesday’s attack, according to Tulsa city officials. Later on Thursday, June 2, 2022, Police named the other victims as Dr. Stephanie Husen, Amanda Glenn and William Love, at a news conference.
Police also revealed that the suspect died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds, adding that he purchased a semi-automatic AR 15-style rifle just hours before the shooting, and was also armed with a handgun.
Tulsa Police Chief, Wendell Franklin, said the man “blamed Dr Phillips for ongoing pain” following the surgery he received at St. Francis Hospital on May 19, 2022. After his release from hospital, the suspect “called several times over several days complaining of pain and wanting additional treatment”, Mr Franklin said. However, it is unclear if he received further assistance.
He added that a letter recovered from the crime scene made it clear the suspect “came in with the intent to kill Dr. Phillips and anyone who got in his way. That letter told us the story. This was planned,” Mr Franklin said. Ten other injuries were reported, officials added. “Our training led us to take immediate action without hesitation”, Chief Franklin said.
Law enforcement response to active shooter situations is under heightened scrutiny after police in Uvalde, Texas reportedly waited 40 minutes before confronting a gunman who killed 21 people, including 19 children.
