Police officers shot and killed a gunman after he opened fire inside a Department of Veterans Affairs clinic in Jasper, Ga., on Tuesday, injuring an employee, the authorities said.
Officers responded to the clinic around 1 p.m. after receiving reports that shots had been fired, Chief Matt Dawkins of the Jasper Police Department told reporters at the scene. When officers arrived, they encountered the gunman behind the clinic and fatally shot him, Capt. Chris Leake, a spokesman for the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office, said in a statement.
The victim, who was shot inside the clinic, was flown to a hospital, Capt. Leake said. The person’s condition was not immediately made public.
The gunman was identified only as a resident of Jasper, which is about 60 miles north of Atlanta. Chief Dawkins said he did not know if the gunman had a connection to the clinic or to the person who was shot.
The clinic offers primary care and specialty health services, such as nutrition assistance and optical care, according to its website.
Pete Kasperowicz, a spokesman for the Veterans Affairs Department, confirmed in a statement that the wounded person was a clinic employee. The clinic will be closed the rest of the week while authorities investigate, assisted by the V.A.’s Office of Inspector General, he said.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is assisting with the investigation, said Jade Hensel, a spokeswoman for the bureau. The F.B.I.’s Atlanta field office said in a statement that it was assisting with the investigation.
Gov. Brian Kemp said on social media that he was monitoring reports on the shooting and receiving updates.
“I ask all Georgians to join us in praying for those impacted and for our first responders,” he wrote.
Rylee Kirk reports on breaking news, trending topics and major developing stories for The Times.
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