Tulsa shooting: Five killed in attack on medical clinic
Witnesses have recalled what happened when a gunman armed with a rifle and a pistol opened fire on a hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and committed suicide after killing four more, who have been identified by the Saint Francis Healthcare System. as employees.
Officers responded to the scene in four minutes Wednesday afternoon to find a “catastrophic scene,” Tulsa Police Captain Richard Meulenberg said.
Staff and patients rushed from the Natalie Medical Building and others took refuge during the attack, which occurred just eight days after the mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, in which they died. children and two adults.
A man who escaped from Tulsa Hospital with his wife told reporters that the unidentified gunman told them he was “not there for him.”
Tulsa police have described the shooting as “very specific” to the suspect for a “very specific purpose,” CNN reported. They have yet to find a reason or name the four victims, which could include hospital staff and patients.
Key points
Show the latest update 1654180857
Appointments canceled at the clinic
Appointments at the orthopedic clinic where the shooting took place on Wednesday afternoon have been canceled until Friday, according to reports.
It comes after the Saint Francis health system shut down its campus due to the situation in the Natalie Medical Building, which houses outpatient clinics and other medical offices.
That’s where the gunman opened fire and killed at least four people.
Gino Spocchia June 2, 2022 3:40 PM
1654179357
The hospital says “four members of our family” were killed in a shooting
Saint Francis’ health system at the center of the attack on a Tulsa medical clinic on Wednesday paid tribute to four of his employees who he said died.
“The Saint Francis health system is mourning the loss of four members of our family,” the organization said in a statement seen by KTUL-TV and others. “A faith-based organization, the only resource we have right now is to pray as we navigate this tragedy.”
The health system went on to say, “Out of respect for families, we are not commenting on or disclosing the names of those lost or injured at this time.”
Gino Spocchia June 2, 2022 3:15 p.m.
1654177557
Oklahoma lawmaker says shootings “preventable”
Oklahoma State MP Melissa Provenzano has sounded the alarm over the shooting at the Tulsa hospital she represents, and has called for tougher laws.
“We can do a lot more here in Oklahoma to make these things preventable,” Ms. Provenzano said in comments to CNN.
Democrats, including Ms. Provenzano, have called on U.S. lawmakers to introduce tougher gun laws, including background flag checks and higher age requirements, as well as semi-automatic weapons bans. .
The legislator said she had visited the Saint Francis Hospital campus on Wednesday and that “This is just one of the most iconic places in our city.”
Gino Spocchia June 2, 2022 2:45 p.m.
1654176057
What do we know about the victims?
Details about the four victims of Wednesday’s shooting on the campus of Tulsa’s Saint Francis Hospital, where the gunman also died from self-inflicted injuries, are scarce and far-fetched.
Police said at least two victims were found in the same room as the gunman, who opened fire on the second floor of the Natalie medical building.
One person was found in a closet with a gunshot wound and then died while being taken to a hospital, according to a reporter on the local news channel NewsOn6.
Police believe the attack was not random and that the gunman was “very specific” about his whereabouts and the victims, which could include both hospital staff and patients.
Gino Spocchia June 2, 2022 2:20 p.m.
1654172757
Congressman Weapons Laws “Really Save Lies” After Uvalde, Tulsa
Arizona Congressman Ruben Gallego said he was alarmed to learn of the mass shooting in Tulsa after appearing on CNN to talk about the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
He tweeted that “When I left the program, I learned of another horrific mass shooting, this time in Tulsa,” and called on Congress to pass “stronger weapons laws.”
“That’s the kind of time we can get together and really save lives,” the Democrat said.
“If we had a red flag law and a ban on selling such weapons (AR-15) to men under the age of 21, I don’t think the chances of us having a shootout in Uvalde have diminished much,” he said. . he argued.
Police in both Tulsa and Uvalde shootings have said gunmen used “semi-automatic” weapons to carry out the attacks, prompting Democrats to call for a crackdown on the style of firearms. .
Gino Spocchia June 2, 2022 1:25 PM
1654170657
“The police were everywhere,” said one witness
A woman who went to the hospital for her appointment on Wednesday afternoon has explained how she witnessed the police response to the shooting.
“Police cars were lined up everywhere and on the surrounding roads. I took pictures and went out the back door, “Debra Proctor told CNN.
“Police were everywhere in the parking lot, up and down the surrounding blocks. They were still arriving when I left,” the 46-year-old added.
At the time of the attack, he was leaving the hospital in his vehicle.
Police responded to calls from a shooting within minutes
(Tulsa Police Department / AFP via)
Gino Spocchia June 2, 2022 12:50 p.m.
1654168254
Two victims were found next to a gunman, according to police
Two of the four victims of Wednesday’s shooting were found in the same room as the gunman, the Tulsa police captain said.
Tulsa Police Department Captain Richard Meulenberg told CNN that officers found a “semi-automatic rifle” and a “semi-automatic pistol,” with which the suspect was thought to have used on himself.
Gino Spocchia June 2, 2022 12:10 p.m.
1654166454
Biden reported shooting on Tulsa massacre anniversary of shooting
U.S. President Joe Biden was briefed on the shooting in Tulsa on Wednesday and offered assistance to state and local officials, the White House said.
The attack came on the same day as the 101st anniversary of the Tulsa massacre, Biden said in a statement.
“This was not a riot, it was a massacre,” Biden said of the white mob that looted and destroyed a black area of Tulsa known as Black Wall Street.
It’s still unclear if the anniversary was related to the shooter’s goals at Saint Francis Hospital.
Gino Spocchia June 2, 2022 11:40 AM
1654164654
The doctor’s assistant remembers telling the patient, “Let’s go.”
Gannon Gill, a medical assistant at Saint Francis Hospital, said he could recognize the sound of gunfire as the attack unfolded.
“There was an initial ‘What was that?'” He told The New York Times.
Mr Gill said he turned to his patient and said, “Let’s go. I don’t think that’s good.”
He later learned that some of his colleagues were hiding in bathrooms or closets, while he and a group of others took refuge in a garage outside the Natalie building.
Gino Spocchia2 June 2022 11:10
1654162856
The hospital was a “catastrophic scene,” according to police
The medical complex was a “catastrophic scene” after Wednesday’s incident, said Police Captain Richard Meulenberg.
The Natalie Medical Building, where the shooting took place, houses an outpatient surgery center and a breast health center, as well as an orthopedic clinic.
Patients are possibly among the four victims, who have not been identified.
(REUTERS)
Gino Spocchia June 2, 2022 10:40 AM