What we know about the shooting at a Tulsa medical center

Geoff Bennett:

It is good to be with you.

President Biden will speak to the nation in prime time tonight, urging Congress to take action on gun violence. In recent days, mass shootings, killing or injuring four or more people, have traumatized communities from New York to Texas to Oklahoma.

The latest, in Tulsa, left four people dead. It was the 20th such attack just since the massacre at a school in Uvalde, Texas, last week.

Amna Nawaz has the latest on the tragedy in Tulsa.

Amna Nawaz:

Yesterday afternoon, Tulsa, Oklahoma became the site of the 233rd mass shooting in the U.S. so far this year. This time, the target was a medical building on the campus of St. Francis Hospital.

Today, authorities identified the gunman as 45-year-old Michael Louis of Muskogee, saying he was armed with an AR-15-style rifle and a semiautomatic handgun. Louis shot and killed two doctors, a receptionist, and a patient, before shooting himself.

Authorities said the gunman legally purchased the rifle about two hours before the shooting and targeted Dr. Preston Phillips, who had recently performed back surgery on Louis.

Wendell Franklin is Tulsa's police chief.

Wendell Franklin, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Police Chief:

Louis called several times over several days complaining of pain and wanted additional treatment.

On May 31, Dr. Phillips saw Mr. Louis again for additional treatment. Yesterday, June the 1st, Louis called Dr. Phillips' office again complaining of back pain and wanting additional assistance.

We have also found a letter on the suspect which made it clear that he came in with the intent to kill Dr. Phillips and anyone who got in his way. He blamed Dr. Phillips for the ongoing pain following the surgery.

Amna Nawaz:

Dr. Ryan Parker is the associate chief medical officer at St. Francis and was a colleague of Dr. Phillips.

Dr. Ryan Parker, St. Francis Health System:

We are supposed to be the ones that are caring for others during tragedies like this. To think that our caregivers were the victims, it's just incomprehensible to me. They died while serving others. They died in the line of duty.

Amna Nawaz:

Police officers responded to the sprawling hospital complex within three minutes of being alerted.

Lachelle Nathan was on the way to a doctor's appointment when officers rushed in.

Lachelle Nathan, Witness:

I was coming to the doctor, and I got my grandkids with me in this terrible scene. It's awful. It's sad. It's so close to home. It's not even safe if you come outside anymore.

Person:

This is a wakeup call for my kids. Like, this can really happen anywhere.

Lachelle Nathan:

Yes.

Person:

And it's very scary. You can't even go to a store. You can't even go to school.

Lachelle Nathan:

No.

Person:

Now you can't even go to the doctor?

Lachelle Nathan:

No.

Person:

I mean, we could have been in there, and this would have been happening.

Amna Nawaz:

The Tulsa shooting took place at the same time families in Uvalde, Texas, are holding funerals for the 19 children and two teachers killed in the deadliest school shooting in nearly a decade.

Meanwhile, today, miles away in New York, a court appearance for the 18-year-old alleged gunman in the Buffalo shooting, accused of targeting and killing 10 Black Americans in a supermarket fewer than three weeks ago.

For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Amna Nawaz.