Tulsa: Four dead in US hospital attack

A man shot and killed four people at a hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma, apparently killing himself. Meanwhile, the 18-year-old suspected Buffalo gunman has been charged with terrorism following the racist assault.

Just over a week after the massacre at a Texas elementary school, a man in the US state of Oklahoma opened fire in a hospital, killing four people, police said. The shooter was also dead, Tulsa police said. The police had previously reported several injuries. Apparently he shot himself.

Because of the shots, the grounds of the St. Francis Hospital, on which the affected clinic building is located, were cordoned off. Aerial footage from TV stations’ helicopters showed first responders taking a person lying on a stretcher out of the building. Dozens of police cars were also seen in front of the hospital complex; authorities halted traffic while the operation was underway. Agents from the Federal Police Agency for Combating Illegal Possession and Smuggling of Alcohol, Tobacco, Weapons and Explosives were also at the scene.

The previously unknown shooter opened fire with a pistol and rifle, Deputy Chief Dalgleish said. Apparently he fired alternately with both of them. Police responded three minutes after receiving the 911 call and made contact with the shooter about five minutes later, Dalgleish said. When they arrived, officers heard gunshots inside the building, leading them to an upper floor.

Police Captain Richard Meulenberg spoke of a “catastrophic scene” that he encountered at the crime scene. “Unfortunately, some were killed.” We also know of several injuries.

Tulsa’s Mayor G.T. Bynum said his thoughts are now with the fatalities. He would like to have a political debate about how to deal with such incidents in the future, if at all, “but not tonight,” added the Republican.

Series of shootings in the United States

The United States is currently being rocked by a spate of acts in which gunmen open fire and kill several people. Just last Tuesday, an 18-year-old opened fire at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. The gunman holed himself up in a classroom and killed 19 children and two teachers before being shot dead by police.

A few days earlier, a gunman opened fire in a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, killing ten people and injuring three others. According to investigators, the act was racially motivated – 11 of the 13 victims were black. Prosecutors said charges would be brought against the suspected shooter this Thursday in Buffalo.

Debate about stricter gun laws

The Uvalde killing spree in particular has once again fueled the debate about tightening gun laws in the USA. US President Joe Biden – a Democrat – has spoken out in favor of it. For years, however, many Republicans have opposed stricter regulations, such as a ban on assault rifles.

The US has long struggled with massive levels of gun violence. In 2020, gun injuries were the number one killer of children and adolescents in the United States, ahead of traffic accidents.