Gregory Paul Ulrich identified as Buffalo Clinic mass shooting suspect that left 5 people critically injured at the Allina Health Clinic in Minnesota. History of prior police dealings.
A gunman who opened gunfire inside a Minnesota health clinic on Tuesday has been described as a local man ‘very familiar’ to law enforcement according to Buffalo authorities.
Gregory Paul Ulrich, 67, was identified as the shooter who critically injured five people around 11 a.m. at the Allina Health Clinic in Buffalo, before being taken into custody shortly after, police said.
‘There is no information at this point that leads us to believe there is any nexus with any type of domestic terrorism. We are very familiar with the suspect,’ Buffalo Police Chief Pat Budke told reporters.
Budke said the shooting happened inside the Allina Clinic Crossroads campus and that the suspect, ‘had a history of being unhappy with healthcare he had received,’ at the facility. Budke said investigators believe the attack was targeted due in part to a history of conflict Ulrich had with the facility KSTP reported.
Wright County Sheriff Sean Deringer said Ulrich, a Buffalo resident had been known to investigators since 2003 after a number of unspecified calls, while also noting Ulricht being, ‘disturbed with anti-government sentiments.’
Facility targeted
During a search of the health facility, police found improvised explosive devices as well at the nearby Super 8 Motel, where Ulrich was staying. The discoveries led to the hotel being evacuated and a local bomb squad was called the Star Tribune reported.
It is though Ulrich may have taken issue with care he either sought or received at the clinic, but authorities were not aware of him making threats before the shootings.
‘The history that we have as a department with this individual makes it most likely that…this incident was targeted at that facility or at someone within that facility,’ Budke said.
Court records cited by the Tribune showed Ulrich’s last address was at a Buffalo trailer park which authorities had sealed off as they executed a search warrant. The 67 year old’s criminal history includes three drunken driving convictions. He had a pending case for minor drug possession; his most recent appearance was on Feb. 5. Records showed that an earlier case, in which he was accused of violating a harassment order, was dismissed after being found mentally unfit to go to trial. An official wrote that Ulrich had previously applied for a permit to purchase a firearm, but was denied.
KSTP spoke to Ulrich’s brother, Richard, who hadn’t heard the news at the time and said he hadn’t talked to his brother in a few months. Richard Ulrich added that his brother had back surgery a couple years ago and was put on opioids, which he believes led his brother to do what he did at the clinic.
Officials believe that he acted alone and aren’t looking for additional suspects.
It’s unclear if the five victims were specifically targeted, nor is it clear if the victims were Allina Health employees. A motive for the shooting is also unclear, with officials speculating that Ulrich’s prior history with police, ‘makes it most likely that this incident was targeted at that facility or at someone at that facility.’
Ulrich, who has not been formally charged was expected to appear in court Thursday morning to face specified charges.
The health clinic in Buffalo is about 40 miles northwest of Minneapolis.
