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FBI: El Paso clinic victim was VA doctor who had filed complaint against alleged killer | |
(about 4 hours later) | |
The doctor who was fatally shot at an El Paso Veterans Affairs clinic on Tuesday had previously filed a threat complaint against his alleged killer, FBI officials said Wednesday. | |
VA psychologist Timothy Fjordbak, 63, was allegedly shot and killed by Jerry Serrato, 48, on the fourth floor of the El Paso Veteran Affairs Clinic, FBI special agent Doug Lindquist said. Then Serrato “actually went to the third floor, and that’s where he took his own life,” Lindquist said. | |
Serrato worked at the VA in 2013 as a desk clerk, but the incident that prompted Fjordbak to file a complaint took place in a grocery store, Lindquist said. | |
“Mr. Serrato approached Dr. Fjordbak, who did not recognize him, and he made a verbal threat,” Lindquist said, who paraphrased the threat as “‘I know what you did and I will take care of that,’ something to that effect.” | |
Fjordbak filed the complaint in October 2013, according to reporters at the press conference. | |
VA officials said they couldn’t definitively confirm that Fjordbak and Serrato had no working relationship. Lindquist said the complaint was the only connection they have found between the victim and alleged shooter. | |
The incident at the clinic was reported around 3:10 p.m. local time on Tuesday, said Maj. Gen. Stephen Twitty, commanding general of Fort Bliss. | |
FBI investigators have interviewed 400 witnesses, reporters at the news conference tweeted, some of whom were people seeking medical attention. | |
The VA clinic remained closed on Wednesday and veterans will have their appointments rescheduled. While the clinic is closed, agents have already completed their initial investigation of the crime scene, officials said. | |
The William Beaumont Army Medical Center, which is adjacent to the El Paso VA main health-care facility, was placed on lockdown 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 lockdown. | |
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 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. | 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. |
The president of the VA employees’ union offered condolences to the victim’s family and the veterans’ community. | The president of the VA employees’ union offered condolences to the victim’s family and the veterans’ community. |
“Our VA medical centers are where veterans and their families come to heal and feel safe,” David Cox Sr. said in a statement. “Incidents such as this violate that sense of protection.” | “Our VA medical centers are where veterans and their families come to heal and feel safe,” David Cox Sr. said in a statement. “Incidents such as this violate that sense of protection.” |
RELATED: Shooting at VA clinic underscores frustrations between some VA workers and veterans | |
This post has been updated. | This post has been updated. |