A patient gunned down his surgeon and three other people in a mass shooting at a Tulsa, Oklahoma, medical building on Wednesday after blaming the doctor for his pain, according to police.
On May 19, the suspected gunman underwent back surgery. Dr. Preston Phillips — one of the four people killed in the shooting at the Natalie Building, a five-story medical complex at Saint Francis Hospital — was the suspect’s doctor in that surgery, Tulsa Police Chief Wendell Franklin said at a news conference Thursday.
A letter recovered on the suspect made it clear “that he came with the intent to kill Dr. Phillips and anyone who got in his way,” Franklin said. “He blamed Dr. Phillips for the ongoing pain following the surgery.”
The suspect bought an AR-style semi-automatic rifle just hours before the shooting, Franklin said.
Tulsa Police department attend the scene of a shooting in Tulsa, Okla., June 1, 2022.
Tulsa Police Dept.
The suspect was released from the hospital on May 24, five days after his surgery, Franklin said. After his release, the suspect called several times over several days complaining of pain and wanting additional treatment, the chief said.
On Tuesday, Phillips saw the suspect again for additional treatment, the chief said. On Wednesday, the suspect called the doctor complaining of back pain and wanting additional help, the chief said.
The shooter died at the mass shooting site Wednesday from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.
The three others killed were a doctor, a receptionist and a patient, Franklin said.
“They stood in the way” so the suspect “gunned them down,” Franklin said.
Police respond to the scene of a mass shooting on at St. Francis Hospital on June 1, 2022 in Tulsa, Okla.
J Pat Carter/Getty Images
The chief called it a “senseless tragedy.”
“This is yet another act of violence upon an American city,” Franklin said. “We train for instances such as this. And I’m overwhelmed and proud of the men and women, all those that responded.”
“Our training led us to take immediate action without hesitation. … That’s what they did in this instance,” Franklin said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.