Tulsa shooting - live: Victim revealed as top WNBA doctor as shooter’s AR-15 and pawn-shop gun under scrutiny

Police have identified the suspect and four victims who were killed on Wednesday in Tulsa at the Saint Francis Hospital campus.

Tulsa police chief Wendell Franklin told reporters on Thursday morning that Michael Louis, the suspect, wanted to kill Dr Preston Phillips over recent back surgery and pain he felt.

He said the suspect purchased a semi-automatic rifle hours before the shooting took place on Wednesday afternoon, killing another physician, a receptionist and a patient.

Meanwhile, witnesses have recalled what happened when the gunman armed with a rifle and handgun opened fire and took his own life.

Officers responded to the scene within four minutes to find a “catastrophic scene”, said Tulsa police Capt Richard Meulenberg.

Mr Franklin praised the actions of his officers for doing what they had been trained to do, “to take immediate action without hesitation, that’s exactly what our officers do”.

The others killed include Dr Stephanie J Husen, receptionist Amanda Glenn, and hospital patient patient William Love.

Key points

• Police identify suspect and four victims

• Tulsa gunman’s ex-wife called 911 half an hour after hospital shooting began

• Biden demands action on gun violence as schools become ‘battlefields’

• Everything we know about the Tulsa hospital gunman

Police clear bomb threat at Tulsa shooter’s home

Friday 3 June 2022 03:20 , Josh Marcus

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol bomb squad has cleared a home in the town of Muskogee, after police got a tip the Tulsa hospital gunman may have placed explosives there.

“No devices were found,” Muskogee police spokesperson Lynn Hamlin said.

My daughter was killed by a shooter. None of us want Republicans’ thoughts and prayers

Friday 3 June 2022 03:50 , Josh Marcus

“The fight for sensible gun legislation has been thwarted by Republican lawmakers in the pockets of the gun lobby — all cowards who only offer the usual ‘thought and prayers’, or tell the public that ‘now is not the time to talk about gun control’,” writes Andy Parker, whose daughter was killed in a shooting.

Read the rest of his Independent Voices opinion piece on what needs to be done to stop future tragedies.

My daughter was killed by a shooter. I don’t want Republicans’ thoughts and prayers

What was the Tulsa shooter’s motive?

Friday 3 June 2022 04:20 , Josh Marcus

Officials have identified the man suspected of shooting and killing four people at a medical clinic in Oklahoma.

Tulsa Police Department police chief Wendell Franklin said that Michael Louis, who they believe also died of self-inflicted wounds, was a patient at Tulsa medical clinic and was admitted to the facility on 19 May for back surgery.

He reportedly called several times afterward complaining about pain and sought “additional treatment”.

“On May 31, Dr [Preston] Phillips saw Mr Louis again for additional treatment. Yesterday, June 1, Mr Louis called Dr Phillips’ office again and wanting additional assistance,” the police chief said in a statement.

Johanna Chisholm has the details.

Tulsa gunman left note blaming surgery pain for killing his doctor and three others

Tulsa shooting: Everything we know about hospital attack that killed four people

Friday 3 June 2022 04:50 , Josh Marcus

Read the latest details on the Tulsa shooting.

Tulsa shooting: Everything we know about hospital attack that killed four people

Republican pulls out firearms to oppose gun control during House hearing

Friday 3 June 2022 05:20 , Stuti Mishra

Republican Florida Representative Greg Steube pulled out several guns as he took part in a debate on gun violence via Zoom.

The House Judiciary Committee was discussing a package of gun control measures following a series of mass shootings across the US.

The Florida lawmaker was taking part via video call when he showed off his firearms while arguing against specific measures in the package that would institute limits on magazines.

“I hope to God that gun isn’t loaded,” Texas Democrat Sheila Lee said.

“I’m at my house. I can do whatever I want with my guns,” Mr Steube responded.

Here’s more from Gustaf Kilander who was watching the action for The Independent.

Republican pulls out firearms to oppose gun control during House hearing

Shooting outside Iowa church kills two

Friday 3 June 2022 05:35 , Stuti Mishra

Two people and a shooter died Thursday night in another shooting reported outside a church in Ames, authorities said.

The church is near Interstate 35, about 48.28 kilometres north of Des Moines.

Read more:

2 people and shooter die in shooting outside Iowa church

Multiple people shot in ‘critical incident’ at Wisconsin funeral

Friday 3 June 2022 05:55 , Stuti Mishra

Multiple people have been shot in a ‘critical incident’ at a cemetery where a funeral was taking place in Wisconsin, in yet another shooting incident reported this week.

The incident took place during the funeral at Graceland Cemetery in Racine on Thursday afternoon, the police say.

"There are victims but unknown how many at this time," Racine Police Department tweeted.

Graeme Massie has more:

Multiple people shot in ‘critical incident’ at Wisconsin funeral, police say

'Thoughts and prayers are important but not enough' says Harris

Friday 3 June 2022 06:15 , Stuti Mishra

Vice president Kamala Harris in an address on Thursday once again stressed the need for "common-sense gun safety laws" and claimed Joe Biden has done more to combat gun violence "than any other president".

"All of us hold the people of Tulsa in our hearts," said Ms Harris, "but we also reaffirm our commitment to passing common-sense gun safety laws.

"President Biden has taken more executive action to combat gun violence than any other president," she said. "But we cannot as an administration, or those of us who are here, address this alone.”

American schools and public places have become ‘battlefields’ says Biden in call for action on gun violence

Friday 3 June 2022 06:35 , Stuti Mishra

#ICYMIPresident Joe Biden delivered a plea for action on gun violence on Thursday as the nation recovers from a spate of mass shootings including horrific massacres in New York and Texas.

The president spoke live Thursday evening as members of the Senate, on recess, huddle to discuss possible compromise legislation in response to the shocking scenes of slaughter which unfolded at a supermarket and elementary school over the past few weeks.

Even those shootings, nightmarish as they are, risk falling into memory now in the face of violence that has unfolded in the days following those attacks in Uvalde and Buffalo, including shootings at a hospital in Tulsa and a high school in Los Angeles.

”There are too many other schools, too many other everyday places that have become killing places, battlefields here in America,” Mr Biden declared on Thursday from the White House.

John Bowden has the details.

US schools have become ‘battlefields’ says Biden in call for action after shootings

Everything we know about the Tulsa hospital gunman

Friday 3 June 2022 07:00 , Stuti Mishra

The suspected gunman of Tulsa named as Michael Louis, killed five people, including himself, on a hospital campus on 1 June as the nation reels from a series of mass shootings across the US, including massacres in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York.

He was a patient at the Tulsa medical clinic and was admitted to the facility on 19 May for back surgery. He reportedly called several times to complain about subsequent pain and sought “additional treatment”.

Louis bought an AR-15-style rifle hours before the attack. He also purchased a semi-automatic handgun on 29 May from a local pawn shop, the police chief said.

Shweta Sharma has more details here:

Everything we know about the gunman who opened fire at Tulsa hospital

What do Buffalo, Uvalde, and Tulsa have in common? Legally bought guns

Friday 3 June 2022 07:30 , Stuti Mishra

It’s hard to miss the similarities.

Recent shootings in Buffalo, New York; Uvalde, Texas; and Tulsa, Oklahoma all involved legally purchased, AR-15-style weapons.

The weapon used in the Tulsa shooting was purchased that day.

The Independent’s John Bowden has this look at one of America’s most notorious and popular weapons.

The rise of the AR-15: Why America is defending a ‘weapon of war’

Two doctors, a receptionist and patient killed in Tulsa mass shooting

Friday 3 June 2022 08:00 , Stuti Mishra

Three hospital employees and one patient have been identified as the victims of the mass shooting at the Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa, southeast Oklahoma.

Tulsa Police Department Chief Wendell Franklin told reporters at a press briefing on Thursday that two physicians and a Saint Francis Healthcare System receptionist were among the four people killed.

A patient was also among the victims shot dead by suspect gunman Michael Louis, who police found dead with self-inflicted wounds.

The four victims were identified as Dr Preston Phillips, Dr Stephanie Husen, receptionist Amanda Glenn, and William Love, the patient.

Gino Spocchia has more details.

Two doctors, a receptionist and patient named as victims in Tulsa mass shooting

Taser maker proposes stun drone to try to stop school shootings

Friday 3 June 2022 08:30 , Stuti Mishra

Taser and surveillance company Axon has announced plans to put its weapons on drones as a solution to school shootings in America, prompting immediate criticism.

The proposal was met with objections from the company’s own ethics board, which questioned the idea of a remote-controlled flying drone armed with a Taser.

Axon said on Thursday that it has “formally begun development of a non-lethal, remotely-operated Taser drone system as part of a long-term plan” to stop mass shootings.

Maroosha Muzaffar has more.

Taser maker proposes stun drone to try to stop school shootings

'Enough': Biden demands action on gun violence as US schools become 'battlefields'

Friday 3 June 2022 09:00 , Stuti Mishra

President Joe Biden on Thursday delivered a plea for action on gun violence as the nation recovers from a spate of mass shootings including horrific massacres in New York and Texas.

Here’s a clip from his live address:

Tulsa shooting highlights threats doctors face over care

Friday 3 June 2022 09:30 , Stuti Mishra

Doctors have been increasingly threatened with or become victims of violence by patients complaining of pain, especially in recent years when they have prescribed alternatives to opioids and tapered patients off addictive painkillers.

More than two-thirds of pain specialists surveyed during a violence education session at a 2019 American Academy of Pain Medicine meeting said a patient threatened them with bodily harm at least once a year. Nearly half said they had been threatened over opioid management.

Read more:

Tulsa shooting highlights threats doctors face over care

NY passes bill raising age to buy, own semi-automatic rifles

Friday 3 June 2022 12:25 , Johanna Chisholm

New York‘s legislature voted Thursday to ban anyone under age 21 from buying or possessing a semi-automatic rifle, a major change to state firearm laws pushed through less than three weeks after an 18-year-old used one of the guns to kill 10 people at a supermarket in Buffalo.

Other new legislation will restrict civilian purchases of bullet-resistant armor, which was worn by the killer in Buffalo, and require new guns to be equipped with microstamping technology that can help law enforcement investigators trace bullets to particul

The AR-15, a semi-automatic weapon, has in recent years become the weapon of choice in numerous high-casualty mass shootings. This includes, the recent shootings in Uvalde, Buffalo and Tulsa, as well as other incidents in past years including the massacre in Las Vegas, the shooting at a Texas Wal-Mart in 2019 as well as the Sandy Hook attack and the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Fla. There are many other examples.

Continue reading about the rise of the AR-15 from The Independent’s John Bowden below.

The rise of the AR-15: Why America is defending a ‘weapon of war’

Tulsa shooting highlights threats doctors face over care

Friday 3 June 2022 13:30 , Johanna Chisholm

The deadly mass shooting at an Oklahoma medical office by a man who blamed his surgeon for continuing pain following an operation on his back underscores the escalating threat of violence doctors have faced in recent years.

“What we currently know is that Louis was in pain, Louis expressed that he was in pain and was not getting relief and that was the circumstance surrounding this entire incident,” Tulsa Police Chief Wendell Franklin said at a news conference on the shooter, Michael Louis.

More than two-thirds of pain specialists surveyed during a violence education session at a 2019 American Academy of Pain Medicine meeting said a patient threatened them with bodily harm at least once a year. Nearly half said they had been threatened over opioid management.

Read more from The Independent below.

Tulsa shooting highlights threats doctors face over care

Dr Phillips previously served as team doctor for WNBA Tulsa Shock

Friday 3 June 2022 15:07 , Johanna Chisholm

The physician that Tulsa police chief Wendell Franklin told reporters was the man that Michael Louis, the suspect, wanted to kill over recent back surgery and pain he felt was once a top doctor for the Women’s National Basketball League.

As tributes pour in to commemorate the slain doctor, a tweet from former Tulsa Shock head coach Gary Kloppenburg reminded the world of just one of the many contributions the Ivy League trained orthopaedic surgeon made in his lifetime.

“Lord help us, our wonderful @wnba @TulsaShock team doctor Preston Phillips was one of the innocent people murdered in the latest mass shooting. Such a kind and compassionate man who loved basketball and looked out for our players,” Mr Kloppenburg wrote, who is now on the staff for the WNBA’s Indiana Fever.

“The dereliction of duty by the OK legislature and @GovStitt who have failed to protect their citizenry by implementing insanely loose gun laws hits close to home. RIP Doc,” the former Tulsa Shock head coach wrote, before adding a crying and basketball emoji.

Dr Phillips served as the team’s doctor before the Shock left Oklahoma and rebranded as the Dallas Wings in 2015.

New York passes broad gun control measures as states urged to ‘follow our lead’

Friday 3 June 2022 15:42 , Johanna Chisholm

New York’s legislature has passed a bill to raise the age limit for purchasing semi-automatic rifles to 21, in the wake of two mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde last month that killed a total 31 people, including 19 children.

The bill, announced earlier this week by governor Kathy Hochul, was taken up for debate on Thursday.

It seeks to raise the age limit to buy semi-automatic rifles to 21 years from the current 18 as Democrats continue to push for regulations on buying and possessing firearms.

New York will join a handful of states, including Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Vermont and Washington, which require buyers to be at least 21 years, instead of 18, to purchase long guns.

Read more from The Independent’s Alisha Rahaman Sarkar below.

New York passes broad gun control measures as states urged to ‘follow our lead’

Oklahoma lawmakers call for stricter gun laws

Friday 3 June 2022 16:18 , Johanna Chisholm

Oklahoma’s House Democrats began to start a rallying cry to overhaul the rules around purchasing firearms in the state, which by all accounts, has some of the least restrictive gun laws in the country.

Speaking during a press conference on Wednesday in front of the state’s Capitol, Democrats proposed a piece of legislation, aptly named the Stand Against Violence and Extremism Act, SAVE, that would see to amending some of the state’s gun control policies, Tulsa World reported.

Top of the Democrats’ agenda included enacting a red flag law, repealing the permitless-carry law, repealing the concealed-carry law in public spaces like zoos and parks, creating a waiting period and increasing the age requirement for the purchasing guns to 21.

Victim of Tulsa shooting remembered by colleague: ‘I call you father’

Friday 3 June 2022 18:23 , Johanna Chisholm

Tributes for the victims of the Tulsa hospital shooting where a former patient shot and killed five people, including himself, began pouring in in the days following Wednesday’s attack.

Dr Komi Folly, an internist at the site of the fatal shooting, commemorated Dr Preston Phillips, the orthopedic surgeon who performed back surgery on the gunman just weeks earlier and was targeted by the 45-year-old in Wednesday’s attack, as a father figure.

“Dr Phillips, I thought we were preparing to go on a surgical mission in Togo, but I found out yesterday during a shooting at work that a gunman took you away from me, our mission team, your family, your patients, and the Togolese people,” the deceased doctor’s colleague wrote on Facebook. “You always call me a son and I call you father.”

Dr Phillips had travelled with the internist on several occasions to Dr Folly’s home in Togo, Africa, where the pair worked alongside other volunteers to build clinics and hospitals and provide medical care to those in need.

“You told me last week at work during lunchtime to not stop this project in Togo in case something happens to you. I did not know that you were giving me the last advice for our journey,” Dr Folly wrote. “I am so sad to see you go without a goodbye. Your work will continue. You will be missed. I love you. See you in heaven one day.”

Tulsa hospital worker describes his escape from mass shooting

Friday 3 June 2022 19:49 , Graig Graziosi

Dr Gannon Gill, who runs an orthopedic urgent care clinic at St Francis Hospital in Tulsa, recounted how he escaped the ‘labyrinth’ inside the facility during Wednesday’s mass shooting.

Mr Gill told The New York Times that he initially heard what sounded like gunfire, and told his patient they needed to evacuate.

“There was an initial ‘What was that?’” Mr Gill, said, before turning his attention back to his patient. “Let’s go. I don’t think this is good.”

He guided his patient through a ‘labyrinth’ of interior doors and hallways to move away from the sound of the shooting before he and a group of colleagues emerged in the hospital garage.

While in the garage, Mr Gill said he encountered a patient who had encountered the shooter inside the hospital. According to the patient, the shooter told him and his wife to leave and that he was not there for them.

Tulsa shooting victim remembered as a hero

Friday 3 June 2022 21:19 , Graig Graziosi

William Love, 54, died in the Tulsa hospital shooting holding a door closed to protect himself and his wife from an active shooter inside the facility.

His family and friends are remembering him as a hero.

“He was the kind of guy that they don’t make anymore,” his son-in-law told The Oklahoman. “That’s why he held that door.”

Tulsa shooting marks 223rd mass shooting in US in 2022

Friday 3 June 2022 22:00 , Graig Graziosi

The mass shooting at St Francis Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is the 223rd mass shooting in the US this year according to the Gun Violence Archive.

The Gun Violence Archive classifies a mass shooting as any shooting in which at least four people are shot excluding the shooter.

Tulsa gunman’s ex-wife called 911 half an hour after hospital shooting began

Saturday 4 June 2022 00:15 , Graeme Massie

ICYMI: The ex-wife of the Tulsa gunman who killed five people, including himself, on a hospital campus in Oklahoma this week made a call to 911 approximately half an hour after the mass shooting began, according to local authorities.

Tulsa Police Chief Wendell Franklin told Tahlequah Daily News that his department received a call from the neighbouring Cherokee County Sheriff’s offce at 5.24pm, about 30 minutes after Louis had entered the second floor of the Natalie Medical Building and killed two doctors, a receptionist and a patient of the facility.

“This would have been a half hour after the event occurred,” Mr Franklin told the news outlet. “We received two follow-up phone calls from the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office providing clarifying information. All of this information was after the fact,” he added.

According to the sheriff from Cherokee County who spoke with the woman on the 911 call, she identified Louis as her ex-husband and told the dispatcher that she believed he could be planning a shooting in Tulsa.

Read more from The Independent below.

Tulsa gunman’s ex-wife called 911 half an hour after hospital shooting began

Ex-wife: Tulsa gunman was recovering at her home from surgery performed by one of the victims

Saturday 4 June 2022 01:05 , Graeme Massie

ICYMI: The Tulsa gunman’s ex-wife, who is a doctor in Oklahoma, had her attorneys deliver a statement to KJRH reporter Naomi Keitt, which the journalist later shared on her Facebook page.

“Dr. Edith Lubin, the former wife of Mr. Louis, expresses her deepest condolences for the tragic losses that occurred June 1 in Tulsa,” the statement began, noting that Louis had been recovering from his back surgery with his ex-wife before the hospital shooting. “She was not aware of Mr. Louis possessing any weapons or had any intent of harming anyone. Dr. Lubin is shocked by the news. She consented last night to a search of her home and has fully cooperated with law enforcement in their investigation. She is not aware of any note left by Mr. Louis indicating the planning of this tragic act.”

Ms Lubin also offered condolences for the victims’ families, friends and colleagues, writing in the statement that she is “praying” for all those affected.

“She acknowledges everyone’s concerns in trying to understand what happened, but she is at a loss for an explanation other than the effect of continuing pain to Mr Louis during his recovery,” the statement said, before asking that she and “her family be allowed to deal with their personal grief” and with “the sadness for the losses to all other persons” affected by these events.

Memorial organised to mourn the victims of Tulsa shooting

Saturday 4 June 2022 02:02 , Graeme Massie

ICYMI: The John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation, a non-profit based in Tulsa committed to “transform[ing] the bitterness and mistrust caused by years of racial division” into a hopeful future of reconciliation and cooperation for the city, announced they’d be organising a memorial to mourn the victims of Wednesday’s shooting.

“Words cannot convey the pain of this moment in our community, but words are what are needed for us to continue in community,” the non-profit wrote on social media. “This time, this has hit home for us, here, at the John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation.”

Dr Preston Phillips, one of the victims from the Tulsa hospital shooting, was a board member of the centre. While a board member, Dr Phillips reportedly chaired its scholarship committee, recruited fellow members of his fraternity for black professionals to review applications and went on to mentor the winners through post-secondary education, according to Tulsa World.

The memorial is scheduled to take place on 3 June at 6pm at the John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park around the Tower of Reconciliation, the organisation said.

“While shock and horror of violence seems to be all around, we know we can gather in places to remember,” the non-profit wrote on Facebook.

Victims remembered as ‘brave’, ‘force to be reckoned with’ and a ‘true gem'

Saturday 4 June 2022 03:04 , Graeme Massie

ICYMI: Shortly after local authorities identified the four victims of the mass shooting in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the tributes for the hospital workers began pouring in from colleagues and former patients who characterised the two doctors and receptionist as some of “warmest people I ever met”.

Lisa Dunaway Grant, a patient of Dr Stephanie Husen, paid tribute to her former doctor in a Facebook post, writing that she was “heartbroken” at the news of the 48-year-old’s death.

“Dr Husen was my orthopedic doctor. I looooved her so much! She was so very compassionate and caring‼️‼️‼️This is sooooo not fair,” Ms Grant wrote.

Amy Maloy, a clinical assistant at the same hospital where the Tulsa gunman shot and killed five people, including himself, remembered the doctor of osteopathic medicine as a “true gem” who was “one of the most thoughtful people I have ever met”.

“She was patient, enduring, and SO SWEET,” wrote Ms Maloy, who worked alongside all three hospital workers. “She took time with each patient, she was thorough, she wanted to really know you so she could help the best way she knew how.”

Amanda Glenn, the receptionist who was murdered in the attack at Saint Francis hospital, was described by Ms Maloy as being “brave, funny” and “hard-working”.

“Amanda knew how to keep a calm head in crisis - when her family lost their home in 2019 due to flooding - she was at work and in her spare moments finding a place for her family and keeping both work and home ships afloat,” said Ms Maloy. “She was the type of mom and wife I look up to.”

On Dr Preston Phillips, the surgeon who performed back surgery on the gunman earlier this month, Ms Maloy noted how he leaves behind a “remarkable legacy”.

“Dr Preston Phillips was one of the warmest people I ever met. He was jolly, silly, and he was a force to be reckoned with. He was stern in his practice, but KIND,” she wrote.

Sister of doctor killed in Tulsa mass shooting asked him to play ‘Taps’ on saxophone in final phone conversation

Saturday 4 June 2022 04:02 , Graeme Massie

ICYMI: The sister of Dr. Preston Phillips, who was the target of the mass shooter at a Tulsa hospital, told MLive.com that during her last conversation with her brother, she asked him to play ‘Taps’ on his saxophone.

Taps is a bugle call traditionally associated with military flag ceremonies and funerals.

Dr Phillips was a skilled saxophone player, and his sister asked him to dust off his horn and play the song to honor the Memorial Day weekend and their family’s history of military service.

“I said, ‘I know you’re driving home from work and I know you’re tired — and I want you to lay down when you get home — but before you do lay down, I want you to pull out your saxophone and I want you to play ‘Taps’ for me,’” Paula Phillips-Terrell, Dr Phillips’ sister, said.

“That was the last conversation I had with him,” she said. “I still can’t believe that’s the last conversation I had with him.”

Tulsa hospital shooting puts medical professionals across the state on high alert

Saturday 4 June 2022 04:56 , Graeme Massie

ICYMI: After a gunman shot and killed four people in Tulsa while targeting the doctor who’d performed back surgery on him only weeks earlier, medical professionals across Oklahoma are raising the alarm about the potential threats they face on a daily basis.

“Our staff is already upset. They’re concerned. They’re jittery. They’re concerned about what are we going to do here,” Oklahoma State Medical Association president Dr David Holden told News on 6.

Michael Louis, a patient of Dr Preston Phillips, sought him out during Wednesday’s deadly shooting after he’d called the orthopaedic surgeon “several times” complaining about his ongoing back pain following the 19 May operation.

Dr Holden told the news station on Thursday that the physical structure of a hospital only intensifies the kinds of potentially dangerous situations doctors and hospital staff could find themselves in if a disgruntled, and armed, patient decided to attack.

“Multiple rooms, multiple stairways, multiple access points. That’s what especially concerning throughout the facility, and that’s what especially concerning about any medical facility,” he said. “Our life is going to change. Each facility, every hospital, every medical building is going to have to evaluate their particular situation, their design, and what’s it going to take to get that security.”