Gunman killed and employee hospitalized after a shooting at a Georgia VA clinic, police say

JASPER, Ga. (AP) — There was a shooting Tuesday astatine a Department of Veterans Affairs session successful a tiny municipality astatine the ft of the Blue Ridge mountains successful Georgia, and the gunman was changeable and killed, constabulary said.

A Veterans Affairs worker was taken by chopper to a infirmary aft the gunfire Tuesday afternoon, VA spokesperson Peter Kasperowicz said.

Jasper constabulary responded to the country astir 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, the metropolis said successful a statement. Outside the VA clinic, the officers confronted the gunman, who was changeable and killed, authorities said.

The gunman was from the Jasper area, Jasper Police Chief Matt Dawkins told reporters astatine the scene. But details astir him were not instantly released.

“We don’t cognize what led up to it,” Dawkins said.

Jimmy Mooney was buying astatine a adjacent Goodwill store erstwhile helium heard gunfire.

“We heard the gunshots going off,” helium said. “There was astir apt 17 of america wrong the Goodwill that was shopping, and, they had travel and told america to get successful the backmost of the store and during that clip we could spot the officers moving down the hill. Gunshots started going off.”

The Jasper constabulary main said the Federal Bureau of Investigation volition beryllium investigating the shooting on with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

When asked astir the suspect’s background, a Pickens County sheriff’s spokesperson said helium did not cognize whether helium had a subject background.

The session volition stay closed for the remainder of the week, Kasperowicz said.

“VA is rescheduling appointments arsenic indispensable and ensuring Veterans and unit person entree to counseling and chaplain services successful the aftermath of this tragic event,” helium said successful an email.

The VA’s Office of Inspector General volition assistance section authorities successful the investigation, helium added.

The outpatient session successful Jasper offers services that see superior attraction and specialty wellness services, including laboratory, telehealth and intelligence wellness care, according to its website.

Jasper, a municipality of astir 5,000 people, is astir 60 miles (97 km) northbound of downtown Atlanta. Signs connected a road done the municipality telephone it Georgia’s “First Mountain City” arsenic the Blue Ridge Mountains travel into presumption arsenic motorists from Atlanta caput north.

Photos from the section newspaper, the Pickens Progress, showed much than a half-dozen instrumentality enforcement officers responding to the scene, wearing tactical vests adjacent a portion promenade successful the town.

The session opened successful the summertime of 2020, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs said successful a quality merchandise announcing its expansive opening.

“The caller Pickens County VA Clinic volition summation entree and guarantee that our Veterans proceed to person the high-quality wellness attraction that they person earned and merit person to their home,” officials said successful the release.

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Martin reported from Kennesaw, Georgia.

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