Tulsa Hospital shooting: Massive gunfire in medical center leaves 4 dead

4 people have been reported dead in a mass shooting at the St. Francis Hospital Campus in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

According to People News, the authorities are close to identifying the suspect. Police have described the assailant as a black male between 35-40 years old. It has been reported that the suspect was in possession of a rifle and a handgun, both of which he allegedly fired.

The shooting comes on the heels of two other high-profile mass shootings, the massacre at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, and the shooting at a grocery store in Buffalo New York.

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What exactly happened in Tulsa?

As per CNN, Tulsa Police Department Deputy Chief Eric Dalgleish revealed all available information at a news conference on Wednesday evening.

According to Dalgleish, shortly after 4:50 pm, an active shooter was reported at the physician's office building on the St. Francis Hospital campus.

Within 5 minutes of the call, officers reached the scene and made contact with the suspected gunman. Upon arrival, authorities were directed to the shooter after hearing shots coming from the second floor.

The gunman is reportedly dead. According to authorities, he most likely committed suicide.

Dalgleish said:

“The scene is fairly limited to one section of that floor, on the second floor.”

Local Police Captain, Richard Meulenberg, explained the series of events to ABC News in an interview where he said:

“Officers immediately rushed to the second floor where the shooting was taking place, when they got there they found a few people had been shot, a couple were dead at the time. We also found at that time who [we] believe and still believe to [be] the shooter because he had a long rifle and a pistol with him.”

He added:

“We are doing a meticulous floor-by-floor, room-by-room search… it’s calmed down. We’re trying to connect people and we’re hoping not to find any victims.”

Tulsa local Kalen Davis, saw the police arrive as she waited in traffic. She said:

“I just knew that it was a shooting situation because I saw police running with rifles. That’s when I got emotional.”

Police reported that there was also a potential bomb threat linked to the suspected gunman. About 50 miles southeast of Tulsa, police in Muskogee, Oklahoma received reports that the suspect may have left a bomb at a certain residence. In a press conference, Muskogee Mayor Marlon Coleman reported that the bomb squad had cleared the building of any potential threats.

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Response from the community and the nation

Local authorities reported that in the aftermath of the attack, a site was being organized for friends and relatives to find one another at Memorial High School. Cliff Robertson, the CEO of Saint Francis Health system, spoke about the attack in a news conference.

He said:

“There is nothing more this community could do for us than to pray for the families and the loved ones and the victims of this senseless act."

Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum thanked the police for their prompt response to the shooting:

“The men and women of the Tulsa Police Department did not hesitate.”

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt mirrored this sentiment on Twitter, where he posted:

“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.”

As per information provided by the Washington Post, the Tulsa attack may be the 16th mass shooting since the massacre in Uvalde, Texas. 12 of the mass shootings occurred on The Memorial Day weekend alone.

The spike in mass gun violence has provoked several debates across the nation, ranging from gun laws to mental health issues.