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Hours before a gunman opened fire at the St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Wednesday (June 1), he bought an AR-15-style rifle from a gun store, according to NBC News.
The shooter entered the medical building shortly before 5 p.m. — and purchased the semi-automatic rifle at 2 p.m. that day, officials said. Days before, he purchased a 40-caliber pistol from a pawn shop on May 29.
Five people died in Wednesday's shooting, including the gunman, who died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. The other victims were doctors Preston Phillips and Stephanie Husen, receptionist Amanda Green and patient William Love. Police said the gunman targeted Phillips — who he "blamed" for his pain after he underwent back surgery in May — based on a letter the shooter had with him that "made it clear that he came in with the intent to kill Dr. Phillips and anyone who got in his way."
The Tulsa police chief called Wednesday's deadly shooting a "senseless tragedy."
"This is yet another act of violence upon an American city. We train for instances such as this. And I'm overwhelmed and proud of the men and women, all those that responded. Our training led us to take immediate action without hesitation. ... That's what they did in this instance," he said.