BUFFALO, Minn. — When Tiffany Politte pulled up to an Allina Health Clinic in Buffalo, Minnesota Tuesday morning, it didn't take long before she realized something was wrong.
"As I pulled in to the clinic, two nurses come outside and I figured something was wrong because they were running," said Politte, who is a resident of Buffalo. "They come up to the vehicle and they said that there's been a shooting ... they ended up getting in (the vehicle), and I ended up calling 911 and taking them with me because they had nowhere else to go."
Soon after, Buffalo police, Wright County sheriff's deputies and area SWAT teams were dispatched to the Allina Clinic at 755 Crossroads Campus Drive on reports of multiple shots fired. Authorities say five people were transported to hospitals in the Twin Cities with injuries, including one who died at HCMC, according to a spokesperson with Hennepin Healthcare.
The four other victims were transported to North Memorial Hospital where a spokesperson with North Memorial Health says three of the victims remain in critical, but stable, condition. One of the victims was discharged Tuesday afternoon, according to a hospital spokesperson.
Politte said the two nurses who had run to her vehicle hadn't been shot, but were visibly shaken up.
"It caught me off guard," said Politte of two nurses running up to her vehicle Tuesday morning. "I was glad I hadn't gone in five minutes earlier because I could have been shot myself."
Politte said she was just about to drop her mother off at the front and go park, when she heard shots and saw two windows crack near the entrance.
"I more so heard the glass breaking, which was right next to the door where (the nurses) came out of," Politte said.
With the two nurses and her mother safely inside the vehicle, Politte said they drove away to a safe distance where they parked and watched for police to arrive.
According to Politte, the nurses didn't see the suspect, but said they heard the gun shots and ran out of the building.
Authorities located the suspect and took him into custody. Wright County Sheriff Sean Deringer identified the suspect as Gregory Paul Ulrich, a 67-year-old man from Buffalo, and say he is "no stranger to law enforcement" and has been involved in multiple calls for service.
"There is no information at this time that leads us to believe that there is any nexus with domestic terrorism," Budke added. "We are very familiar with the suspect."
Deringer said that when his deputies responded to the clinic, "It was a horrible-looking scene."
During a secondary search after the evacuation, the sheriff said a suspicious package was found in the lobby and the Minneapolis Bomb Squad is currently investigating.
Deringer said after responding to the clinic, they received information that Ulrich was staying at the Super 8 Motel nearby and "out of an abundance of caution" they sent crews over there. He said explosive devices were found there as well, but everyone was safely evacuated.
Deringer said they believe Ulrich acted alone and so there is no search for other suspects and "time is on our side" with the investigation.
"I've never dealt with anything like this," said Politte, who said she's lived in Buffalo for about 30 years. "We still don't know what's happened or who's been hurt – and it would be nice to know – but I am glad that the suspect is caught."
Schools in the area were placed on lockdown, including Tatanka Elementary School, where Politte's son, who is in the second grade, attends.
The Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose public schools posted the following message Tuesday evening on its Facebook page:
BHM Schools Families....there are no words for today. Our sympathies go out to everyone involved with today's tragic events at Allina Clinic-Crossroads in Buffalo. Since we have two schools in close proximity to the clinic, we appreciated how our staff pulled together today to make sure our students were safe and secure.
We appreciated how our families remained calm today and trusted us to take care of their children.
We appreciated the work of local law enforcement for their guidance and communication with us throughout the day.
We appreciate how the communities of Buffalo, Hanover and Montrose are like one big family and care for each other. We are so fortunate to have 3 great communities.
Schools will be open as scheduled tomorrow and we will have staff in place to work with students and staff who still need to process today's events. We provided resources to our families and staff tonight to help talk with children about how to process a traumatic situation. Those resources are included here:
Stay safe BHM Schools!