The alleged sniper in a shooting at a Minnesota health clinic that left one person dead and three seriously injured on Tuesday, allegedly threatened to attack medical facilities in 2018, according to police records.
In October 2018, Gregory Paul Ulrich called his doctor three times and threatened to “shoot, blow things up and practice different revenge scenarios” against four medical facilities at Allina Health, according to a report by the Buffalo Police Department.
Among the facilities he allegedly threatened was the Allina Health Clinic in Buffalo – the emergency department where Tuesday’s shooting occurred.
At the time, the doctor told the police that Ulrich said he would not act on his alleged threats, but he believed in “Mr. Ulrich is a great threat to society and to himself. “
Gregory’s younger brother Richard Ulrich told NBC News on Wednesday that his alleged threats were “related to opioid painkillers”.
Richard, 63, from Florida, said his older brother became addicted to opioids when he had surgery on his back two years ago.
“They stopped treatment after a few weeks, and he was upset that the doctors didn’t give him any more,” said Richard. “He seemed frustrated and angry with the doctors.”
According to the report, the police said that Ulrich was taken to an emergency room for a mental health assessment after allegedly making threats. Shortly afterwards, members of the Allina Health team filed a restraining order against Ulrich, the records show.
Ulrich was arrested on charges of violating the harassment restraining order in November 2018, according to the report. A month later, he received an invasion notice from the Stellis Health clinic in Buffalo, the report said.
The charge was dismissed last year after he was found to be mentally incapable, records show.
The shooting on Tuesday took place around 11 am at the 755 Crossroads Campus Dr. in Buffalo, police said. Officers, Wright County sheriff deputies and SWAT teams responded to a report of a shooting at the Allina Health Clinic.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said at a news conference on Tuesday that “some improvised explosive devices” were found.
“At the moment, it looks like it was a single individual,” said Walz. “And again, it is too early to say the reasons or reasons.”
Wright County Sheriff Sean Deringer said on Tuesday that the Minneapolis police bomb squad was investigating a suspicious package. Police said the bomb squad also investigated a Super 8 motel where Ulrich was staying.
“We sent a team from my office to evacuate the Super 8 motel,” said Deringer. “We found additional suspicious devices at the Super 8 motel. He was evacuated. We cleaned up the area.”
Five people were transported to hospitals in the area, said Kelly Spratt, president of Buffalo Hospital Allina Health. Four patients were taken to North Memorial Health and three were in critical but stable condition, the hospital said. The fourth patient was discharged.
The fifth person was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis and died later, the hospital confirmed on Tuesday.
Ulrich also had a series of previous charges against him in Wright County and neighboring Pine County, which dated back to 2004, most of them related to drug and alcohol offenses.
He was most recently convicted in 2014 for possession of marijuana, court records show.
Ulrich is expected in court on Thursday at 10:30 am, Wright County Prosecutor’s Office said.
Doha Madani contributed.