Health-clinic horror
Disgruntled shooter kills nurse, wounds 4
A man disgruntled with the health-care system opened fire inside a Minnesota clinic Tuesday morning — killing a nurse, leaving four people critically wounded and sending medical workers running for their lives, police and witnesses said.
Gregory Paul Ulrich, 67, entered the Allina Health clinic in Buffalo, about 40 miles northwest of Minneapolis, just before 11 a.m. and started shooting before he was taken into custody about an hour later, cops said during an afternoon news briefing.
Buffalo Police Chief Pat Budke, who appeared close to tears at the start of the news conference, said Ulrich had multiple run-ins with police dating back to 2003 and had a “history of conflict” centered around “health care and with the health care that he received.”
“The history that we have as a department with this individual makes it most likely that this incident was targeted at that facility or at someone at that facility,” Budke explained.
“None of the information that we have from our past contact with him would indicate that he was unhappy with or would direct his anger at anyone other than people within the facilities where he had been treated or where they’d attempted to give treatment.”
Gov. Tim Walz said multiple “improvised explosive devices” were found but police were unable to confirm if the devices were set off. Cops said a “suspicious device” was found in the lobby of the hospital and others at a nearby Super 8 where Ulrich had been staying.
Kelly Spratt, the president for Allina Health’s Buffalo Hospital, said a total of five patients were transported from the clinic to trauma centers designed to handle the worst of the worst injuries.
“This obviously is a very challenging day for us out here and across the Allina health family,” Spratt said.
A worker from the Bugambilias Cocina Latina, a restaurant behind the clinic, told The Post by phone that three nurses rushed into the eatery for help amid the shooting.
“They just run away from the clinic and asked for the phone to call their families to tell them they’re OK,” the worker said.