December 27, 2024

Live updates: 4 dead in Tulsa medical center shooting

Tulsa #Tulsa

Multiple people were killed in a shooting at a medical center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Wednesday, authorities said, adding that the suspected shooter was also dead.

Tulsa Police Department Deputy Chief Eric Dalgleish confirmed the number of dead. He said the gunman died apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The Oklahoman will provide live updates here as they come in. Check back often for the latest information.

Highway patrol clears Muskogee home

An Oklahoma Highway Patrol bomb squad used dogs to clear a home in Muskogee after police were notified the Tulsa hospital shooter may have left a bomb inside, the Muskogee Police public information officer said.

“No devices were found,” Lynn Hamlin said.

Tulsa police investigators arrived after that search “and took over the scene,” she said.

– Nolan Clay

Tulsa official: Shooter was targeting specific doctor, didn’t find him

Tulsa City Councilor Jayme Fowler said the gunman was targeting a specific doctor, and began shooting after not finding him.

“I’m getting that from some different sources” including a police official, he told The Oklahoman.

The site of the shooting is in Fowler’s City Council district and he said he grew up five minutes away.

“We saw Uvalde, Texas. We saw Buffalo, New York,” he said, referencing other recent mass shootings. “And you would never dream that something like this would happen in our sleepy little town.”

– Nolan Clay

Tulsa native responds to hospital as Red Cross mass shooting specialist

Staff from the American Red Cross and Salvation Army arrived Wednesday evening to provide food, water and emotional support at the reunification site.

Tulsa-area native Johnnie Munn specializes in mass shooting response for the Red Cross as a senior disaster program manager.

He’s attended to victims at the site of the deadliest U.S. mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017, where 60 people were killed.

This time, he responded to a fatal attack in his home town.

“It’s surreal and aggravating,” Munn said. “You’re like, ‘Why?’ … It’s no surprise that it’s happening more often.”

Story continues

– Nuria Martinez-Keel

Tulsa hospital: Thankful for quick response of Tulsa Police Department

Saint Francis Health System asked for prayers Wednesday night as it grieves “the loss of four members of our family.”

“As a faith based organization, the only recourse we have at this moment is to pray while we navigate this tragedy,” the health system said in a statement posted to Facebook.

The health system said it wouldn’t comment on or share the names of those who were injured or killed in the shooting out of respect for the victims’ families.

St. Francis thanked Tulsa police and other first responders for their response during the shooting.

“And, our deepest gratitude extends to the members of our own Saint Francis family who cared for their own during this incident,” the health system’s statement said.

– Dana Branham

Cherokee Nation Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr.: ‘We must all do more’

– Ryan Sharp

Oklahoma medical official: We stand with physicians from Tulsa hospital

Oklahoma State Medical Association President Dr. David Holden said in a statement the organization was heartbroken to learn of the loss of lives at the Tulsa hospital.

“Oklahoma’s hospitals, clinics and doctors’ offices are places for healing and should be safe for all,” Holden said. “And while there will be much to discuss regarding this tragedy in the days and weeks to come, we stand with our fellow physicians and health professionals in mourning those who were killed and injured due to this devastating event.”

– Dana Branham

Police believe Tulsa shooter may have planted bomb in Muskogee home

Muskogee police went to a residence there Wednesday night after being notified by Tulsa police that the shooter may have left a bomb inside. Muskogee is about 50 miles southeast of Tulsa.

“At this time we have evacuated the house and have notified everyone in the area to stay inside their homes,” the Muskogee Police public information officer said.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol bomb squad was at the residence preparing to search it once police get a search warrant, the officer, Lynn Hamlin, said.

– Nolan Clay

More: What we know about shooting at Tulsa medical center

Gov. Kevin Stitt issues statement on Tulsa medical center shooting

“What happened today in Tulsa is a senseless act of violence and hatred. Sarah and I are praying for the families of those who lost their lives and for those who were injured.

I am grateful for the quick and brave actions of the Tulsa Police Department and other first responders who did their best to contain a terrible situation.

I have offered Mayor G.T. Bynum any state resources that may be needed, and I ask all Oklahomans to come together in support of the Saint Francis Health System community and to grieve with those whose lives have been forever changed.”

– Ben Felder

Lawmakers respond to Tulsa medical center shooting

U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, who lives in Tulsa, tweeted his condolences Wednesday night, saying “one thing is clear: tragedy is in the loss of life.”

“Kay and I are praying for comfort for the victim’s families and loved ones as they go through this hard time as well as those who suffered injury. I am thankful for the law enforcement officers and first responders who responded to the situation swiftly and with bravery.”

U.S. Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) said he was “heartbroken” in a statement issued after the shooting and that he and his wife Cindy were praying for the families.

“It is hard to process the anger that motivates someone to commit such violence, especially at a place that provides care and healing,” Lankford said.  “I am in touch with local officials in Tulsa and will continue to receive updates on the situation. Our law enforcement and first responders were prepared and equipped to respond to a situation to which no one ever wants to respond. I’m grateful for their quick reaction to prevent any further loss of life.”

Representative Kevin Hern echoed similar thoughts in a statement on Twitter Wednesday evening.

“My prayers are with those who lost loved ones tonight, and with the entire Tulsa community as we recover from this tragedy,” Hern tweeted. “I am thankful for our law enforcement officers who responded quickly.”

– Jessie Christopher Smith

Police provide timeline for Tulsa medical center shooting

Tulsa Police Deputy Chief Eric Dalgleish spoke to press during a brief Wednesday evening and provided a brief timeline of the shooting.

At 4:52 p.m., dispatch received a call of an active shooter at the Natalie Medical Building.

At 4:56 p.m., police officers arrived at the location.

At 5:01 p.m., officers made contact with victims and the suspect on the second floor after hearing gunshots.

Killed were “four innocents, one shooter.” Police said they believed the shooter’s gunshot wound was self-inflicted. One witness was found locked in a closet.

At the time of the briefing, police had not yet identified the suspect but said they “were getting close.”

– Nolan Clay

Death toll rises in Tulsa medical center shooting

Tulsa police tweeted that at least 5 people are dead, including the shooter, in the Natalie Medical Building on the St. Francis Medical Center campus.

What we know so far: Tulsa medical center shooting

Officers responded to a report of a man armed with a rifle at the St. Francis medical campus, which “turned into an active shooter situation.”

St. Francis Health System locked down its campus Wednesday afternoon because of the situation at the Natalie Medical Building. Police said officers were going room-to-room in the building.

The Natalie building houses an outpatient surgery center and a breast health center. People were asked to avoid the area.

At least three people are dead in addition to the shooter. It was unclear how the shooter died or what prompted the deadly assault.

Meulenberg also said multiple people were wounded and that the medical complex was a “catastrophic scene.”

Aerial footage from a TV helicopter appeared to show first responders wheeling someone on a stretcher away from the hospital building.

Dozens of police cars could be seen outside the hospital complex, and authorities shut down traffic as the investigation went on.

Kevin Foristal, of Broken Arrow, waited for his wife at the designated reunification area at Memorial High School just over a block away from the hospital campus.

Foristal said his wife was receiving outpatient therapy at the infusion center in the main hospital building at the time of the shooting.

Memorial High School in Tulsa where police have set up the high school as a reunification center after a gunman killed multiple people at a medical center

She told him hospital staff turned out the lights, locked the doors and covered windows with cardboard, Foristal said.

He said he is “elated” to have good news from his loved one, but “there’s people out there where that’s not going to happen.”

It also was the second mass shooting this week in Oklahoma.

A woman was killed Sunday and seven others were injured during an annual Memorial Day festival in Taft, a small town near Muskogee, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation reported. The shooting suspect later turned himself in.

The shooting in Tulsa comes after two high-profile shooting massacres in Buffalo, New York, where 10 Black people were killed, and Uvalde, Texas, where 19 children and two teachers were killed in May.

USA TODAY and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Live updates Tulsa, Oklahoma shooting: Multiple killed, injured

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