Sandy MaloneBuffalo, MN – The bomb squad is on the scene at a Minnesota hospital where at least five people were critically wounded by a gunman on Tuesday morning just moments before an improvised explosive device (IED) went off.
Police radio traffic indicated that the gunman told police he had planted multiple bombs through the facility and law enforcement sources told KMSP that more than one has gone off.
Police received the first 911 call from inside the Allina Health Clinic located in the 700-block of Crossroads Campus Drive at about 10:55 a.m. on Feb. 9, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.
About 15 shots were fired, according to dispatcher radio traffic.
At least five people were shot and critically wounded inside the facility, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.
Moments later, police said the gunman had been taken into custody but the terrifying incident still wasn’t over, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.
A bomb exploded in the family medicine and urgent care clinic about 30 minutes later.
“We just had a bomb go off in the clinic,” according to the dispatch audio. “They’re evacuating the clinic parking lot, so we’re going to go stage back at the child-care center we originally staged at.”
According to radio traffic, the suspect in custody told police that he had planted multiple improvised explosive devices.
“The male is saying he had four explosive devices and they all went off – there might be one inside the briefcase near the front office that has not gone off yet,” an officer on the scene said on the radio.
Police confirmed evidence of the explosives being set off inside the clinic, but the extent of damage isn't yet known. All victims have been transported to the hospital, their conditions still unclear.
— MN CRIME 💝 (@MN_CRIME) February 9, 2021
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) confirmed they were en route to the scene.
#BREAKING @ATFStPaul is in route to a healthcare facility in Buffalo, Minnesota, after reports of an active shooter situation. No further details are available at this time. pic.twitter.com/YVZegzbGr4
— ATF St. Paul (@ATFStPaul) February 9, 2021
Minneapolis police and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) also responded to the health clinic to assist, WCCO reported.
Radio traffic indicated that the Minneapolis Police Department’s bomb squad was called in to sweep for and deal with any additional IEDs.
The three victims with the most severe gunshot wounds were transported to North Memorial Health Hospital in Robbinsdale, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.
North Memorial Health Spokeswoman Abigail Greenheck confirmed North Memorial had received multiple victims from the mass shooting but would not say how many nor comment on their conditions.
Two more victims were transported to Buffalo Hospital, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.
Radio traffic indicated that multiple helicopters had been requested to evacuate the victims to trauma centers.
Buffalo is located about 40 miles northwest of Minneapolis, according to KMPH.
The Allina Health Clinic is located in the midst of the commercial area in town.
Police officers were also dispatched to the Super 8 motel located about a mile south of the health clinic, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.
There was a “high suspicion” that another bomb had been planted at the motel, according to radio traffic.
A witness named Tiffany told KMSP that she was in front of the clinic dropping her mother off for an appointment when two nurses came running out the front doors of the facility and jumped in her car.
The witness said the nurses said they had heard at least 11 gunshots in the back of the building and then a moment later, they all saw the front windows of the clinic get shot out.
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Holly Matkin
