Police have reported an active shooter situation at the Natalie Building at St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Tulsa Police Department initially posted on Facebook that the shooter was dead and that there were "multiple injuries and potentially multiple casualties." The post was later updated at 6:24 p.m. Central time to "confirm four casualties, including the shooter." At the time, officers were still in the process of "clearing the building."
During a news conference at 7:15 p.m., Eric Dalgleish, a deputy chief for Tulsa police, confirmed that the shooting left four people dead in addition to the shooter, meaning an updated count of five total deaths.
Dalgleish said that Tulsa police received a call about an active shooter at the Natalie Building at 4:52 p.m., officers arrived at 4:56, and made contact with the victims and suspect on the second floor at 5:01.
The identity of the shooter was not yet released, but Dalgleish said he was believed to be a "Black male estimated to be 35 to 40 years old," and mentioned that "he had one long gun (a rifle) and one handgun on the scene at the time.
The Associated Press initially published that it was not clear yet how the shooter died. However, that was clarified during the news conference. Dalgleish said, "We're certain that's a self-inflicted gunshot wound on his part."
Tulsa's KTUL ABC 8 reported that the early law enforcement presence around the area was "staggering." Police requested that people avoid the area near the hospital. "We’re asking family members/friends to go to Memorial High School west of LaFortune Park for a reunification site," the post read.
The Associated Press also reported early on that police Capt. Richard Meulenberg said that, in addition to the deaths, multiple people were wounded, calling it a "catastrophic scene." Additionally, the reporting said that agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were at the scene.
The shooting took place just days after 19 children and two adults were killed at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, as well as multiple mass shootings that occurred over Memorial Day weekend.
We will provide further updates on this deadly incident in the days to come.