2022 Tulsa hospital shooting

On June 1, 2022, Michael Louis opened fire in the Natalie Building, part of the Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States.[1] He killed four people, three of whom were hospital staff, and injured an unspecified number of others before committing suicide.[2]

2022 Tulsa hospital shooting
Part of mass shootings in the United States
LocationTulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.
Coordinates36.07001°N 95.91986°W / 36.07001; -95.91986
DateJune 1, 2022 (2022-06-01) (CDT)
Attack type
Mass shooting, mass murder, murder-suicide
WeaponsAR-15 style rifle, handgun
Deaths5 (including the perpetrator)
InjuredUnspecified
PerpetratorMichael Louis
MotiveRevenge for post-surgery pain

Shooting

The shooting reportedly occurred on the building's second floor, in the orthopedic facility, with the victims being both staff members and patients.[3] Louis had entered the building through a second-floor entrance from the parking garage that was open to the public.[4] Law enforcement received a call of a person with a firearm in the Natalie Medical Building on Saint Francis Hospital campus, at around 4:56 p.m.[5] Responding officers to the scene heard shots in the building and moved toward the second floor.[2] Officers believe the last shot was fired around 4:58 p.m., and as they were moving towards the shooter's location while calling out "Tulsa police", they heard the final gunshot.[6]

The Tulsa Police Department confirmed just before 5:00 p.m. CDT that the shooter was killed by what they believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.[1][7][8] The Tulsa Police Department notified the Muskogee Police Department that a bomb may have been placed in a residential area in Muskogee.[9]

Victims

Four people were killed, and an unspecified number were injured in the shooting.[10] The fatalities were Dr. Preston Phillips, Dr. Stephanie Husen, receptionist Amanda Glenn, and the husband of a patient, William Love.[11][12]

Perpetrator

The gunman was identified as 45-year-old Michael Louis (also known as Michelet Louis) of Muskogee.[13][14] Police said he was armed with a semi-automatic pistol and an AR-15-style firearm, which were reportedly purchased on May 29 and June 1, respectively.[10] Michael was formerly a resident of Newark, New Jersey, before moving to Oklahoma in the mid-2010s, and had previously lived in a few other cities across the country including Fort Smith, Arkansas, Rochester, New York, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[15]

On June 2, the Chief of the Tulsa Police Department, Wendell Franklin, stated that Louis had undergone back surgery with Phillips and had suffered from pain since the operation.[14] Phillips previously performed surgery on Louis on May 19, and Louis blamed Phillips for his continued pain post-surgery. Between the surgery and the shooting, he had called the office several times seeking relief from the pain.[4][16] A letter, which officials said was found on Louis, said that, while Phillips was the target of the shooting, others "who got in his way" would also be killed.[2]

Aftermath

Multiple methods of fundraising for the victims and their families were created shortly after the shooting. The Tulsa Community Foundation has a Saint Francis Employee Emergency Fund, and a GoFundMe was created for at least one of the victims.[4]

Responses

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt called the shooting "a senseless act of violence and hatred."[9] Tulsa Mayor G. T. Bynum expressed "profound gratitude" for the "broad range of first responders who did not hesitate today to respond to this act of violence."[17]

Captain Richard Meulenberg of the Tulsa Police Department described the attack as deliberate, saying, "It wasn't random," and that "This wasn't an individual who just decided he wanted to go find a hospital full of random people. He deliberately made a choice to come here and his actions were deliberate."[18][19]

Many physicians, especially black orthopedic surgeons, expressed their sorrow for Phillips' death. Many touched upon the concern that other physicians have felt over the years due to threats by patients. The former president of the J.R. Gladden Society, a national organization of orthopedic physicians of color claimed the attack was a part of practicing medicine and that 99% of doctors across the country would report being threatened, having to fire patients, get restraining orders, or carry concealed for protection.[20] Additional concerns have been raised by a study from National Nurses United which concluded that based on "countless acts of assault, battery, aggression, and threats of violence that routinely take place in health care settings....a frightening trend of increasing violence face by health care workers throughout the country."[21]

See also

References
  1. Rose, Andy; Maxouris, Christina (June 1, 2022). "At least 4 people were killed in a Tulsa, Oklahoma, hospital campus shooting, police say". CNN. Archived from the original on June 2, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  2. Hanna, Jason; Watts, Amanda (June 2, 2022). "Gunman who killed 4 at Oklahoma medical building had been a patient of a victim, police chief says". CNN. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  3. Stelloh, Tim; Pipia, Lindsey (June 2, 2022). "4 killed in shooting inside Tulsa hospital; gunman also dead, police say". NBC News. Archived from the original on June 2, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  4. Canfield, Kevin (June 3, 2022). "Gunman saw his doctor the day before killing him, three others in his medical office". Tulsa World. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
  5. Butler, Megan; Sinclair, Savannah; Smith, Cory (June 1, 2022). "5 dead in shooting at Saint Francis medical building". 8 TULSA ABC. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  6. Elamroussi, Aya (June 3, 2022). "'This can really happen anywhere, and it's very scary.' Witnesses describe how an ordinary day turned deadly at an Oklahoma medical clinic". CNN. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
  7. "Tulsa police: Multiple shot, shooter down at Natalie building in Warren Clinic". KJRH. June 1, 2022. Archived from the original on June 1, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  8. Murphy, Sean; Bleed, Jill (June 1, 2022). "Multiple People Shot At Tulsa Medical Building, Some Killed, Police Say". The Huffington Post. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  9. "Gunman kills 4 in attack at Tulsa medical building, police say". The New York Times. June 1, 2022. Archived from the original on June 2, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  10. Caldwell, Shimon Prokupecz,Evan Perez,Jason Hanna,Travis (June 2, 2022). "Assault-style weapon in deadly Tulsa medical facility shooting was bought that day, sources say". CNN. Retrieved June 2, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. Jason Hanna, Amanda Watts (June 2, 2022). "Gunman who killed 4 at Oklahoma medical building had been a patient of a victim, police chief says". CNN. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  12. "Police: Tulsa suspect targeted surgeon he blamed for pain". WTOP News. June 2, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  13. Jiménez, Jesus; Traub, Alex (June 2, 2022). "Shooting in Tulsa: Update from Alex Traub". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 2, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  14. Rohrlich, Justin; Kirsch, Noah (June 2, 2022). "Tulsa Mass Shooter Complained to His Surgeon Hours Before Killing Him". Daily Beast. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  15. Strunsky, Steve; Attrino, Anthony G. (June 3, 2022). "Tulsa Hospital shooter formerly lives in Newark, New Jersey". Nj.com. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  16. Ruiz, Michael (June 2, 2022). "Tulsa hospital shooting victims identified, one was gunman's surgeon, police say". Fox News.
  17. Mansell, William; Deliso, Meredith (June 2, 2022). "At least 4 dead, multiple people injured in shooting at Tulsa, Oklahoma, medical building: Police". ABC News. Archived from the original on June 2, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  18. Jiménez, Jesus; Traub, Alex (June 1, 2022). "Live Updates: Four Killed in Tulsa Shooting". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 2, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  19. Smith, Zachary Snowdon (June 1, 2022). "5 Dead In Oklahoma Hospital Shooting, Tulsa Police Say". Forbes. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  20. Bunn, Curtis (June 4, 2022). "Black doctors mourn Tulsa hospital shooting victim Dr. Preston Phillips". NBC News. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
  21. Santucci, Jeanine (June 4, 2022). "Deadly assaults on US medical workers on the rise; the recent spate of attacks across the nation is 'frightening trend'". USA TODAY. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
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