Four victims, suspect dead following active shooter situation in Tulsa: police

TULSA, Okla. (KFOR) – Five people – four victims and the suspect – are dead after an active shooting situation at a medical building near a Tulsa hospital Wednesday afternoon, police have confirmed.

Shortly before 5 p.m. CT, officers were called to the Natalie Building near Saint Francis Hospital for a man armed with a rifle, Tulsa Police Chief Wendell Franklin confirmed on Twitter. During a press conference Wednesday night, Deputy Police Chief Eric Dalgleish said officers heard shots inside the building when they arrived.

“This turned into an active shooter situation,” a Tulsa police spokesperson said in a statement released Wednesday afternoon. Police went up to the second floor, where an orthopedic center is located, and found the bodies of the victims and the suspect.

Dalgleish confirmed four people were killed, and that it appears the shooter died due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The suspect had both a handgun and a long gun, both of which appear to have been fired.

While authorities have not yet identified the victims, Saint Francis Health System released a statement Wednesday night saying it “is grieving the loss of four members of our family.”

“As a faith based organization, the only recourse we have at this moment is to pray while we navigate this tragedy,” the statement reads. “Out of respect for the families, we are not commenting on or releasing names of those lost or injured at this time.”

Police Capt. Richard Meulenberg also said multiple people were wounded and that the medical complex was a “catastrophic scene.” Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were also at the scene, a spokesperson said.

Police from nearby Muskogee tell local outlet KJRH they were notified by Tulsa Police that the suspected shooter may have left a bomb in a Muskogee home.

Muskogee Police evacuated the home and notified people in the area to stay indoors. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol bomb squad is now en route to the home.

“I don’t know that I’ve truly understood how important our first responders can be and are every day,” Cliff Robertson, CEO of the Saint Francis Health System, said during Wednesday’s press briefing.

Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum acknowledged the daily heroism and sacrifices of Saint Francis medical personnel.

“This campus is sacred ground to our community. This is where heroes come to work to save the lives of people within our community,” Bynum said.

Tulsa resident Nicholas O’Brien, whose mother was in a nearby building when the shooting occurred, told reporters that he rushed to the scene.

“They were rushing people out. I don’t know if some of them were injured or just have been injured during the shooting, but some of them couldn’t walk very well. But they were just kind of wobbling and stumbling and getting them out of there,” he said.

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt called the shooting “a senseless act of violence and hatred” in a statement shared Wednesday night.

“I am grateful for the quick and brave actions of the Tulsa Police Department and other first responders who did their best to contain a terrible situation,” he added. “I have offered Mayor G.T. Bynum any state resources that may be needed, and I ask all Oklahomans to come together in support of the Saint Francis Health System community and to grieve with those whose lives have been forever changed.”

The Natalie Building houses an outpatient surgery center and a breast health center. Following Wednesday’s shooting, Saint Francis has closed the Warren Clinic Orthopedic offices in the Natalie Building until further notice.

Wednesday’s shooting comes days after one person was killed and seven others injured at an outdoor festival in Taft, Oklahoma, about 45 miles southeast of Tulsa. A 26-year-old man has been taken into custody for that Sunday morning shooting.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.