This article is from the source 'washpo' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.washingtonpost.com/doctor-shot-presumed-shooter-found-dead-at-el-paso-va-clinic/2015/01/06/cdc5790d-0f01-4046-994d-d1f7f75c42a2_story.html?wprss=rss_homepage
The article has changed 11 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Two dead, including alleged shooter, in El Paso VA clinic shooting | Two dead, including alleged shooter, in El Paso VA clinic shooting |
| (about 14 hours later) | |
| One person was shot and killed in an El Paso Army medical facility Tuesday afternoon, and the alleged shooter is dead, army officials said Tuesday night. | One person was shot and killed in an El Paso Army medical facility Tuesday afternoon, and the alleged shooter is dead, army officials said Tuesday night. |
| The incident at the El Paso Veteran Affairs Clinic was reported around 3:10 p.m. local time, Maj. Gen. Stephen Twitty, commanding general of Fort Bliss, said at a news conference. | The incident at the El Paso Veteran Affairs Clinic was reported around 3:10 p.m. local time, Maj. Gen. Stephen Twitty, commanding general of Fort Bliss, said at a news conference. |
| “All other VA patients and staff are safe,” Twitty said. “Everything is under control and there is no immediate threat to Fort Bliss or the local community.” | “All other VA patients and staff are safe,” Twitty said. “Everything is under control and there is no immediate threat to Fort Bliss or the local community.” |
| Officials offered condolences, but took no questions from reporters and gave no details about the identities of the victim and alleged shooter. | Officials offered condolences, but took no questions from reporters and gave no details about the identities of the victim and alleged shooter. |
| Earlier in the evening, the office of Rep. Beto O’Rourke, D-Texas, confirmed that a doctor had been shot. | Earlier in the evening, the office of Rep. Beto O’Rourke, D-Texas, confirmed that a doctor had been shot. |
| The FBI is investigating the shooting, and the agency’s Doug Lindquist said they have hundreds of witnesses that they need to interview. “They were here seeking medical assistance,” he said. | The FBI is investigating the shooting, and the agency’s Doug Lindquist said they have hundreds of witnesses that they need to interview. “They were here seeking medical assistance,” he said. |
| The William Beaumont Army Medical Center, which is adjacent to the El Paso VA main health care facility, was placed on lockdown late Tuesday afternoon after reports of an active shooter situation. Streets surrounding the complex were blocked off and helicopters flew above, the El Paso Times reported. For hours, people within the facility tweeted photos to local reporters, writing that they were still under lock down. | The William Beaumont Army Medical Center, which is adjacent to the El Paso VA main health care facility, was placed on lockdown late Tuesday afternoon after reports of an active shooter situation. Streets surrounding the complex were blocked off and helicopters flew above, the El Paso Times reported. For hours, people within the facility tweeted photos to local reporters, writing that they were still under lock down. |
| Twitty said the VA “immediately enacted their response plan for all persons to shelter in place.” Lindquist described the response to the active shooting as “a model of how to respond.” | Twitty said the VA “immediately enacted their response plan for all persons to shelter in place.” Lindquist described the response to the active shooting as “a model of how to respond.” |
| “We’ve been preparing, in the event, to respond to something like this, and unfortunately we had to today,” Lindquist said. | “We’ve been preparing, in the event, to respond to something like this, and unfortunately we had to today,” Lindquist said. |
| The clinic will be closed Wednesday and veterans will have theirs appointments rescheduled. | The clinic will be closed Wednesday and veterans will have theirs appointments rescheduled. |
| “The Department of Veterans Affairs is deeply saddened by the tragic situation that has occurred in El Paso, and we are actively working with our partners at Fort Bliss to investigate this matter,” an agency spokesperson said in a statement. “We will continue to cooperate fully with military and civilian authorities at Beaumont Army Medical Center. The safety and continued care of our Veterans and the staff will be our focus throughout this situation.” | “The Department of Veterans Affairs is deeply saddened by the tragic situation that has occurred in El Paso, and we are actively working with our partners at Fort Bliss to investigate this matter,” an agency spokesperson said in a statement. “We will continue to cooperate fully with military and civilian authorities at Beaumont Army Medical Center. The safety and continued care of our Veterans and the staff will be our focus throughout this situation.” |
| The El Paso health care system has been under investigation for long patient wait times. A recent inspector general review confirmed the problem and said El Paso had the sixth worst wait-time in the vast VA hospital network, which has over 128 in its system. | |
| Long wait times and attempts by employees to cover them up has been at the center of the largest VA scandal in the agencies history. It is unclear whether this issue motivated the alleged shooter. | |
| The problem came into the open last year and the new VA secretary Bob McDonald has vowed to solve it. O’Rourke said in a statement that El Paso’s leadership has been working hard to hire more doctors and improve times. | |
| “Our thoughts and prayers are with the men and women of the El Paso clinic,” he said Tuesday night. | |
| This post has been updated. |