PUBLISHED: , 2 June 2022 |
Gunman storms Tulsa hospital campus and tells passerby he's looking for 'Dr. Phillips' - killing three people in the rampage before turning gun on himself
- At least four people, including the gunman by self-inflicted gunshot, were killed in a shooting at Natalie Building at St Francis Hospital in Tulsa
- An unidentified gunman allegedly told multiple people to clear the medical center and that he was looking for a 'Dr. Phillips' at time of shooting
- Police confirmed that the gunman killed three people and left one person in critical condition before he turned the gun on himself
- President Biden was briefed on the shooting and said the White House was monitoring the situation
A gunman who stormed a medical building in Tulsa targeting a specific doctor killed three people before he turned the gun on himself.
At least four people, including the gunman by self-inflicted gunshot, were killed in a shooting at Natalie Building at St Francis Hospital in Tulsa, City Council Jayme Fowler told reporters on Wednesday.
An unidentified gunman, armed with a rifle, allegedly told multiple people to clear the medical center and that he was looking for a 'Dr. Phillips' at time of shooting.
Police confirmed that the gunman killed three people and left one person in critical condition before he turned the gun on himself.
It is not clear if the doctor the gunman targeted was among the victims.
Authorities investigating a bomb threat said the gunman possibly planted a bomb at a residence in Muskogee but said no explosives were found in the house following a search.
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At least four people, including the gunman by self-inflicted gunshot, were killed in a shooting at Natalie Building at St Francis Hospital in Tulsa
The Tulsa Police Department seen outside a Saint Francis medical building in Tulsa responding to a shooting on Wednesday afternoon
Large police presence outside of Natalie Building at St Francis Hospital in Tulsa on Wednesday
Police surround hospital after deadly shooting in Oklahoma
St. Francis Health System locked down its campus Wednesday afternoon because of the situation at the Natalie Medical Building, an outpatient surgery center and a breast health center.
Once gunfire ceased authorities searched the building 'floor by floor, room by room,' Captain Richard Meulenberg of the Tulsa Police Department said.
'It's a catastrophic scene in there right now,' Captain Meulenberg told reporters.
Aerial footage from a TV helicopter appeared to show first responders wheeling someone on a stretcher away from the hospital building.
President Biden was briefed on the shooting and said the White House was monitoring the situation.
'The White House is closely monitoring the situation and has reached out to state and local officials to offer support,' officials said in a statement.
The mass shooting comes just eight days after an 18-year-old gunman opened fire at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, killing 19 students and two teachers before authorities shot and killed him
The tragic shooting has reignited the conversation around gun control.
House Democrats are already planning a vote next week on 'red flag' legislation, which allows a judge to ban dangerous individuals from having a firearm, and the Judiciary committee is holding an emergency session on Thursday to mark up right gun-violence bills, which includes measures to raise the minimum age for buying certain weapons to 21.
While Republicans see improving security at schools and tackling mental health problems as a more pressing need than restricting the availability of guns.
The Tulsa Police Department arrives at the Saint Francis medical building following reports of the shooting
Tulsa police asked residents to avoid the area as they responded to calls of an active shooter
Pictured: A map showing the states that saw the highest number of gun violence deaths over the weekend, that saw more than 150 people killed in total across the United States
Gun violence continues to soar across the country as more than 150 people were killed across America during Memorial Day weekend
There were at least 14 'mass shootings' across the US over the weekend, from early Friday morning to late on Monday, according to the Gun Violence Archive, an institute tracking shootings in the country.
At least nine people were killed in the mass shootings and more than 60 people were injured, according to the Archive, which defines mass shootings as an incident where at least four people are shot and injured or killed, not including any shooter.
Overall, gun violence over the Memorial Day weekend saw 156 people killed and 412 injured.
Philadelphia and Chicago saw the worst of the shootings with 20 fatally shot, with 12 killed in Pennsylvania’s largest city and 8 killed in the Windy City.
In Oklahoma, a 26-year-old man opened fire at a Memorial Day festival in a mass shooting, killing a 39-year-old woman and injuring seven victim
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