1 Killed In Minnesota Clinic Shooting, 4 Others Hospitalized

BUFFALO, MN — At least one person was killed and four others hospitalized after a shooting at a Minnesota health care clinic Tuesday morning.

The man accused of firing the gun and injuring several people has been arrested, authorities announced in an afternoon press conference.

Gregory Paul Ulrich, 67, was arrested Tuesday at Allina Health Clinic in the 700 block of Crossroads Campus Drive in Buffalo shortly after the shooting was reported at 10:54 a.m., Buffalo Police Department Chief Pat Budke said. Police said they believe Ulrich acted alone and they are not looking for other suspects.

Wright County Sheriff Sean Deringer, who described the aftermath of the shooting as a "horrible looking scene," said a suspicious package was found in the clinic after shooting victims were removed.

The Minneapolis Bomb Squad is investigating the package, along with other suspicious devices found in the Super 8 motel where Ulrich was staying before the shooting, Deringer said.

In an earlier press conference, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz described the packages as "improvised explosive devices." The FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are among the parties investigating the incident.

Budke said Ulrich has lived in Buffalo for “quite a long time” and has had negative contact with health care workers during the community over the years.

“The history we have as a department with [Ulrich] makes it most likely that this incident was targeted at this facility or someone within this facility,” Budke said. "There is certainly a history with him being unhappy with the health care that he received. There’s also nothing to indicate that we would have been in the situation we are at today.”

"We are very familiar with the suspect," Budke said of Ulrich, who police said has had several encounters with authorities in the area dating back to 2003.

Court records show Ulrich has a history of misdemeanor convictions dating back several years. Between 2004 and 2015, Ulrich was convicted four times of driving while intoxicated, once for driving with an open container, once for possessing drug paraphernalia, twice for possessing small amounts of marijuana and once for willful disobedience of a court mandate.

All told, five victims were taken to area hospitals to be treated for their injuries, said Kelly Spratt, president of Allina Health Buffalo Hospital.

Spratt said two patients were initially taken to Buffalo Hospital, and three were taken to larger metro hospitals for more severe trauma treatment. The patients in Buffalo were later transported to Level 1 trauma centers, placing four at North Memorial Hospital and one at Hennepin County Medical Center as of Tuesday afternoon.

The person taken to Hennepin County Medical Center died, a spokesperson told The Star Tribune Tuesday evening.

The other patients’ conditions remain unknown, Spratt said.

Authorities said detectives from the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office have been brought in to help investigate the case and take statements from victims and witnesses. Minnesota State Patrol also sent in troopers and pilots, who transported six boxes of donated blood from the Red Cross to Buffalo Hospital.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension announced it also sent special agents and crime scene personnel to the clinic.

During the news conference, Buffalo Mayor Teri Lachermeier called on the community to offer support to those affected by the Tuesday morning tragedy.

“This doesn’t happening Buffalo, Minnesota, right?” Lachermeier said. “But, we’ve got to be there for the people that need us. We’ve got to reach out by phone and make sure everybody is ok.”