FIVE people, including the gunman, have died after a shooting took place outside a hospital in Oklahoma on Wednesday.
Tulsa police confirmed that the suspect, who was identified at a press conference as Michael Louis, likely turned the weapon on himself.
Councilor Jayme Fowler told reporters that the gunman was looking for a “Dr. Phillips.”
It remains unknown if the doctor was among the four victims as investigations continue.
The massacre occurred just eight days after a mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, left 19 pupils and two teachers dead, and 18 days after a shooter killed 10 people at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York.
Read our Tulsa shooting live blog for the latest updates…
-
Victims ID’d
Police Chief Franklin revealed the four victims who were killed in the shooting:
- Dr. Preston Phillips
- Dr. Stephanie Husen
- Amanda Green
- William Love
-
Mayor of Tulsa speaks
The mayor praised “how many agencies and entities have leant their expertise to this response,” said Mayor G. T. Bynum.
“I really want to thank the first responders yesterday.”
-
Letter found on suspect
Tulsa Chief Franklin revealed that officers found a letter on the suspect, which “made it clear he came in with the intent to kill Dr. Phillips,” he said.
The suspect reportedly blamed the doctor for his pain after surgery.
-
Chief describes officers response
The police chief explained that police moved in from the first floor and went up to the second floor to confront the suspect.
According to police, the suspect took his own life after officers announced themselves.
The final gunshot rang out at 4.58pm, about 39 seconds after the first officers entered the building.
-
Suspect named Michael Louis
Louis purchased a semi-automatic rifle, an AR-15 style rifle and a semi-automatic handgun before carrying out the shooting.
-
Information can still change
“This information is fluid and can still change, but it is the most accurate information we have at this point,” said Chief Franklin.
-
Chief Wendell Franklin praises official response
“We grieve with the families after this senseless tragedy,” said Tulsa Police Chief Wendell Franklin.
He said officers acted immediately.
“This was a coordinated effort, it was not done half hazardly,” he said.
-
Press conference to start shortly
Updates are expected soon from officials at the Saint Francis medical building.
The press conference is set to begin at 10.15am CDT.
-
Shooting comes after Uvalde tragedy
The Tulsa hospital shooting comes not even two weeks after the mass shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde.
19 children and 2 teachers were gunned down, and at least 17 suffered serious injuries.
-
Four killed in Tulsa
According to authorities, four people were shot and killed at a medical facility on the grounds of St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Wednesday.
The shooter, according to Deputy Chief Eric Dalgleish, is also dead. He stated, “We believe that is self-inflicted,” per CNN.
The identity of the gunman has yet to be ascertained, according to police.
-
Rifle and pistol both found
Two firearms — described by Tulsa police Captain Richard Meulenberg as a semiautomatic rifle and a semiautomatic pistol — believed to have been used in the Tulsa shooting were found next to his body, CNN reported.
Two of the people killed in the shooting were found in the same room as the gunman, the police captain told the outlet.
-
Rep Gallego: ‘Congress must pass stronger gun laws’
Arizona congressman Ruben Gallego appeared on CNN to discuss the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, and tweeted after the show, “As I was leaving the show, I learned of yet another horrific mass shooting—this time in Tulsa.”
“Congress must pass stronger gun laws. Each day the Senate fails to act means more lives will be lost to senseless gun violence.”
-
Mayor GT Bynum’s response
Per New York Times, Tulsa Mayor GT Bynum was asked for his thoughts on Tulsa entering the list of American towns where mass shootings had occurred.
He said: “Right now my thoughts are with the victims in here, many of whose families don’t know even know about this yet.
“If we want to have a policy discussion, that is something to be had in the future, but not tonight, not tonight”
-
Shooting protocols ‘fresh in everyone’s minds’
After criticism of the police reaction to last week’s shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, Tulsa Police Deputy Chief Eric Dalgleish noted that active shooter protocols were “probably fresh on everyone’s minds, according to the New York Times.
“I will say Tulsa revisits that topic regularly.”
-
Witness locked in closet
When police arrived at the scene of St Francis hospital, they found one witness locked in a closet.
Investigators are still interviewing witnesses that were in the building,
-
White House statement on shooting
The president is aware of the shooting at Tulsa’s Natalie Medical Building between 61st and Yale, according to the White House.
Tulsa police have confirmed that four individuals have died, as well as the shooter.
In a statement per FOX, the White House said: “President Biden has been briefed on the shooting in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
“The White House is closely monitoring the situation and has reached out to state and local officials to offer support.”
-
When did the police respond to reports?
Three minutes after dispatchers got the call at 4.52pm, police arrived and made contact with the gunman one minute later.
Multiple individuals were injured, according to police Captain Richard Meulenberg, and the hospital complex was a “catastrophic scene,” per Cincinnati.com.
-
Bomb threat and shooting connected
According to Muskogee officer Lynn Hamlin, the shooting at the hospital and the bomb threat in Muskogee are connected.
A reporter on Twitter wrote: “TPD contacted Muskogee PD after the shooting in Tulsa saying it was possible that the shooter planted a bomb at a home in Muskogee.”
-
Who was the gunman?
A police representative said the gunman’s name had not yet been confirmed, but that he was a Black man between the ages of 35 and 40.
-
Mayor’s remarks
Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum responded to the catastrophe at the local hospital, and, speaking at a news conference. He asked for people to remember those who worked there.
Bynum said, “This campus is sacred ground for our community. For decades, this campus has been a place where heroes have come to woke every day to save the lives of people in our community.”
“I would ask for you to think about what the St. Francis health system and the people that work there mean to our community, what they mean to you and your family and your neighbors.
“The heroes who protect you.”
-
Biden’s response to Tulsa shooting
Biden has not yet responded to the tragedy in Tulsa but has been briefed.
A White House official said the administration has been communicating with local officials and is closely monitoring the situation.
-
Biden about Uvalde
Biden has previously spoken out against gun violence and in the wake of the Uvalde school shooting, he said, “Why are we willing to live with this carnage? Why do we keep letting this happen?”
“I am sick and tired of it. We have to act. And don’t tell me we can’t have an impact on this carnage.”
-
String of shootings continues
The shooting at a Tulsa hospital is one of many in a string of shootings that have taken place across the country in recent weeks.
This shooting occurred only eight days after an 18-year-old entered Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, killing 19 children and two teachers before fatally shooting himself.
It also comes just two weeks after the Buffalo shooting at the Tops Friendly Market store, which left ten people dead.
-
Victims have not been named
Police Deputy Chief Jonathan Brooks confirmed four people were killed and said the shooter was also dead.
Officials said they were not ready to release the names of the deceased.
