4 killed in Oklahoma hospital shooting

Oklahoma (US), June 2

A gunman carrying a rifle and a handgun killed four persons on Wednesday at a Tulsa, Oklahoma, medical building on a hospital campus, the police said, the latest in a series of deadly mass shootings across the country in recent weeks.

Tulsa Police Department Deputy Chief Eric Dalgleish confirmed the number of victims at Francis Hospital’s Natalie Building and said the shooter also was dead, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Assailant dead

• Shooting took place at the Natalie Building of Francis Hospital in Tulsa
• Assailant apparently died of self-inflicted gunshot
• His identity is yet to be ascertained
• Police believe the victims included employees and patients both

The police said they were trying to determine the suspect's identity, who they estimated was aged between 35 and 40. It was unclear what prompted the deadly assault in Tulsa, Dalgleish said.

Natalie Building contains doctors’ offices including an orthopaedic centre, Dalgleish said, adding he believed the victims included employees and patients.

The White House said President Joe Biden had been briefed on the shooting and offered support to state and local officials in Tulsa.

“It appears both weapons at one point or another were fired on the scene," Dalgleish said. The spate of recent gun violence across the country, including the killing of 19 children and two teachers at a Texas elementary school eight days ago by an 18-year-old gunman carrying an AR-style semi-automatic rifle, has led to Democratic leaders amplifying their calls for greater restrictions on guns, while Republicans are emphasising more security at schools.

The divide mirrors a partisan split that has stymied action in Congress and many state capitols over how best to respond to a record-high number of gun-related deaths in the US. It was unclear what prompted the deadly assault in Tulsa, Dalgleish said. “It appears both weapons at one point or another were fired on the scene," Dalgleish said. — Agencies

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