Gunman kills four at Saint Francis Hospital clinic in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Two orthopedic surgeons, an office staffer and a patient were killed.
Tulsa Police Chief Wendell Franklin holds a press conference at Saint Francis Hospital on June 2 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on the mass shooting at the Natalie Medical Building on the hospital's campus.
Photo: J Pat Carter/Getty Images
Five people are dead, including the gunman, in a shooting that took place at an orthopedic clinic on the campus of Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma, according to numerous reports.
Two orthopedic surgeons, a medical office staffer and a patient were killed late Wednesday afternoon by a gunman who had been a patient of one of the surgeons who was shot and killed, Dr. Preston Phillips. The gunman then killed himself, police said.
Tulsa Police Chief Wendell Franklin identified the victims as Dr. Stephanie Husen, Amanda Glenn and William Love, as well as Phillips, according to the Tulsa World.
The shooter was identified as Michael Louis of Muskogee, a patient of Phillips who underwent surgery for back pain on May 19. Louis reportedly was in Phillips' office at the Natalie Medical Building for a follow-up appointment the day before the shooting.
The 45-year-old had reportedly purchased an AR-15-style rifle an hour before the shootings. Louis also had in his possession .40-caliber Smith & Wesson pistol.
Chief Franklin said Louis' wife confirmed with police that he blamed Phillips for his ongoing pain issues after being discharged May 24 following his surgery, according to the Tulsa World report. She said Louis contacted her to let her know what he had done, but Franklin said she was not aware in advance of the shooting.
Vice President Kamala Harris today addressed the shootings and said that President Biden would speak to the nation tonight regarding the recent mass shootings in Buffalo, New York; Uvalde, Texas; and now Tulsa.
Biden is expected to call for congressional action on gun violence.
"But we also reaffirm our commitment to passing common sense gun safety laws," Harris said. "No more excuses … We need Congress to act."
The House Judiciary Committee today debated and was poised to vote on a package of gun control proposals, including raising the purchasing age for semi-automatic rifles, a ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines and registering existing bump stocks.
Twitter: @SusanJMorse
Email the writer: SMorse@himss.org
