A man was arrested Tuesday after 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 took place at the Allina Health Clinic in the city of Buffalo.
A Hennepin Healthcare representative said the victim taken to his hospital died Tuesday night. The dead 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, who has lived in Buffalo for years and has a history of police contact. Urlich is currently being held in the Wright County Jail, according to CBS Minnesota. Buffalo police chief Pat Budke said he believes Ulrich ran the facility or someone inside because he has a history of being unhappy with the health care he had received.
Deringer said police received a call on 911 because someone was shooting at the clinic at 10:54 a.m. and responded to what he called a “horrible-looking scene.” Images from the helicopter showed shattered windows at the front of the building.
Deringer said the respondents evacuated the injured victims and arrested the suspect. A suspicious package was found in the corner of the building lobby and Minneapolis police bomb technicians responded to help investigate.
Wright County Jail
Deringer said investigators learned 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 track down the suspect’s last hours before the shooting.
“We believe Mr. Ulrich acted alone, so a sigh of relief perhaps for the law enforcement community and for our community at large, we are not looking for any additional suspects,” Deringer said.
Deringer said Ulrich is “no stranger” to law enforcement and has had a series of attacks with police dating back to 2003.
Budke was thrilled at times during the press conference, describing the small community as a family.
“Our heart is broken as a community,” Budke said. “This is a day that no community would want to spend.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey tweeted, “There is an indescribable depravity in hurting those who work to heal us.”
David Joles / Star Tribune via AP
Congressman Tom Emmer, a Minnesota Republican whose district includes Buffalo, tweeted about his prayer for the clinic’s staff and patients. “My staff and I are in touch with Allina’s team and we hope this horrible situation comes to a speedy and peaceful resolution,” Emmer said.