One dead, four injured after shooting at Minnesota health clinic
A man was taken into custody Tuesday following a shooting at a Minnesota health clinic that left one person dead and four others injured, according to law enforcement and hospital officials. The shooting occurred at the Allina Health clinic in the city of Buffalo.
A representative for Hennepin Healthcare said the victim transported to its hospital died Tuesday night. The deceased victim has not been identified. One victim has been discharged from the hospital and three others are in critical but stable condition, according to North Memorial Health.
Wright County Sheriff Sean Deringer identified the suspect as 67-year-old Gregory Paul Ulrich, a longtime resident of Buffalo with a history of police contact. Urlich is currently in custody at the Wright County Jail, according to CBS Minnesota. Buffalo Police Chief Pat Budke said he believes Ulrich targeted the facility or someone inside it because he has a history of being unhappy with health care he had received.
Deringer said police received a 911 call that someone was shooting at the clinic at 10:54 a.m., and responded to what he called a "horrible looking scene." Helicopter footage showed shattered windows on the front of the building.
Deringer said responders evacuated the injured victims and took the suspect into custody. A suspicious package was found in the corner of the building's lobby, and Minneapolis Police bomb technicians responded to help investigate.
Deringer said investigators learned that Ulrich had been staying at a Super 8 motel in Buffalo. Officers searched his room and discovered "additional suspicious devices," and evacuated the motel, Deringer said. He added that the department was in the process of executing additional search warrants.
Budke said investigators are working to retrace the suspect's last hours prior to the shooting.
"We do believe that Mr. Ulrich did act alone, so a sigh of relief maybe for us in the law enforcement community, and our community as a whole, we're not looking for any additional suspects," Deringer said.
Deringer said Ulrich is "no stranger" to law enforcement, and has had a series of run-ins with police dating back to 2003.
Budke became emotional at times during the press conference, describing the small community as a family.
"Our hearts break as a community," Budke said. "This is a day that no community would want to go through."
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey tweeted, "There is an unspeakable depravity in doing harm to those who work to heal us."
Congressman Tom Emmer, a Minnesota Republican whose district includes Buffalo, tweeted that he's praying for the staff and patients at the clinic. "My staff and I are in contact with Allina's team and we hope that this horrible situation will come to a quick and peaceful resolution," Emmer said.
