Minnesota health clinic shooting suspect targeted site over his opioid prescription, report says
One person was killed and four injured during a shooting at the Allina Clinic Crossroads health clinic in Buffalo, Minnesota
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Minnesota shooting suspect Gregory Paul Ulrich was looking to get revenge on doctors and medical staff who "tortured" him over their refusal to prescribe opioid medication to him.
In October 2018, Ulrich, 67, called his former doctor three times and threatened several revenge scenarios that included mass shootings and blowing things up, according to a Minnesota Police Department report obtained by The Star Tribune.
At the time, the doctor told police that he believed Ulrich was "a high threat to society and himself".
More than two years after the recorded threats, Ulrich was taken into custody on Tuesday after he opened fire at the Allina Clinic Crossroads health clinic in Buffalo, Minnesota, which resulted in one person dead and four injured.
The shooting sent a shockwave through the town of about 16,000 residents who were concerned for the healthcare workers in the clinic at a time when the world was grappling with a global pandemic.
The clinic specialises in health screenings, child vaccinations, and primary care visits, according to its website.
Richard Ulrich, the shooter's younger brother, said in an interview with The New York Times that his brother suffered a back injury that started two years ago and left him dependent on opioids. The man repeatedly grew frustrated towards doctors when they refused to prescribe him the medication, the brother said.
The pair last spoke two months ago.
"It seemed like he was mad at the doctors," the brother said. "He would call me once in a while, but that's usually what he would talk about, that he was mad at the doctors for not giving him opioids and that they should open up the gates on the opioids. It didn't make a lot of sense to me."
After Ulrich made the threats in 2018, he was taken to the emergency room to undergo a mental health evaluation. Police reported his complaints of the doctor stemming from his series of back injuries and the medications he was taking.
In total, Ulrich threatened four separate Allina health clinics and the location in Buffalo was his top target, saying he wanted something "big and sensational so that it makes an impact," according to the police report.
This influenced staff members to file paperwork against the man on the belief that he was a threat to their safety.
Ulrich was later charged in November 2018 for breaking the restraining order. The case was dismissed one year later after the court determined he was mentally incompetent, The Star Tribune reported.
The police said they had several contacts with Ulrich all the way back to 2003, and theyt revealed Ulrich was likely a patient and in previous contact with members of the targeted health clinic.
It was "most likely that this incident was targeted at that facility or people within that facility," said Chief Pat Budke of the Buffalo Police Department during a press conference.
The shooting suspect also suffered from substance abuse and mental health issues, according to court documents. But he was never convicted of violent or gun-related crimes.
Ulrich was arrested and being held in Wright County Jail after the shooting that occurred on Tuesday morning.
The person killed by the suspected shooter was later identified as medical assistant Lindsay Overbay, 37, who was a mother of two. One person injured was released from the hospital on Tuesday. The three others who were injured remained in the hospital as of Tuesday night.
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