Four killed in ‘catastrophic’ shooting at Oklahoma medical building

At least four people have been killed after a gunman went on a rampage inside a US hospital, leaving a “catastrophic” scene.

At least four people have been killed after a gunman went on a rampage inside a hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Wednesday night.

Tulsa Police had responded to a report of a man armed with a rifle at the Natalie Medical Building at Saint Francis Hospital on Wednesday afternoon.

ACTIVE SHOOTER SITUATION UPDATE: See our Facebook for more info: pic.twitter.com/dla5NWukWM

— Tulsa Police (@TulsaPolice) June 1, 2022

The call then turned into an active shooter situation.

A Tulsa police officer who had been inside told local outlet FOX23 the shooting happened on a lower floor.

Two of the victims appeared to be dressed as a doctor and a nurse, but their official titles were not yet known.

"What we know so far is that four are dead, including the shooter. And from what we understand is that the shooter took his own life. From what we understand, the shooter was, we believe, was looking for a particular physician," says Councilor Jayme Fowler. pic.twitter.com/eobPd9WEMs

— The News with Shepard Smith (@thenewsoncnbc) June 1, 2022

Tulsa City Councilor Jayme Fowler told media outlets the shooter was looking for a specific doctor.

“From what we understand the shooter was, we believe, looking for a particular physician, that was not able to happen so he took the lives of innocent people,” he told CNBC.

Mr Fowler told News On 6, “Our thoughts and prayers go out to those three victims and our police force has been trained, has been prepared for this, and it could have been even worse.”

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The Natalie Medical Building. Picture: Tulsa Police Department

Mr Fowler said the shooter died by suicide.

“We now have five dead, including the shooter, in the active shooter situation at the Natalie Building on the St. Francis Hospital Campus,” Tulsa Police wrote in an update on Twitter.

Police had initially confirmed three victims, plus the shooter were dead.

At a media conference, Tulsa Deputy Police Chief Eric Dalgleish told reporters the suspect was a black male aged between 35 and 40.

He was armed with a rifle and a handgun, and was not believed to be wearing any body armour during the shooting.

Mr Dalgleish confirmed the suspect had killed himself.

It was not immediately clear how many people were injured or what condition they were in.

The victims “could have been hospital employees and visitors”, Mr Dalgleish said. One victim was found later locked in a closet as police searched the building room by room.

First responders gather near the scene. Picture: Tulsa Police Department

Tulsa Mayor G. T. Bynum described the hospital as “sacred grounds for the community”, supporting the city through the Covid-19 pandemic over the last two and a half years.

“This has been a facility more than any other that has worked to save the lives of this city,” Mr Bynum said.

He offered “profound gratitude” to the first responders who “did not hesitate today to respond to this act of violence”.

The Natalie Medical Building is primarily used for sports medicine and orthopaedic surgery.

Police earlier said “multiple” people were wounded and “some, unfortunately, were killed”.

They described the scene inside as “catastrophic”, KTUL reported.

The White House said President Joe Biden had been briefed on the shooting.

“The White House is closely monitoring the situation and has reached out to state and local officials to offer support,” a spokesperson said.

The shooting comes just one week after an 18-year-old gunman murdered 19 fourth-graders and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde Texas.

— with NY Post