Crime, Law and Justice

Wright County clinic shooting: Grand jury brings premeditated murder charge

Law enforcement outside a health clinic.
Law enforcement officers from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives canvas the area outside an Allina Health clinic after the shooting in Buffalo, Minn.
Stephen Maturen | Getty Images file

The man previously charged in the February killing of a health clinic worker in Wright County is now facing a more serious charge of first-degree premeditated murder.

Prosecutors say Gregory Paul Ulrich opened fire at an Allina Health Clinic in Buffalo, Minn., fatally wounding Lindsay Overbay and injuring four others.

He was charged previously with seven counts in the attack, including second-degree intentional murder and first-degree premeditated attempted murder.

In a statement Monday, the Wright County Attorney’s Office said a grand jury brought the first-degree murder indictment against Ulrich. Prosecutors said they had to hold off on that charge until Ulrich was deemed competent to stand trial.

Ulrich remains in jail in Wright County. His next court appearance is set for Oct. 18.

According to the initial criminal filing, Ulrich took local public transit to the clinic. As Ulrich walked in, staff asked if he needed help. He pulled out a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and starting shooting people around him, some as they fled in terror. One victim suffered six gunshot wounds.

Investigators said Ulrich also detonated three bombs in the clinic. Members of the Minneapolis bomb squad also found a cylinder filled with black powder and a fuse, but had not exploded, matching in detail the remnants of another detonated bomb.

Police have said Ulrich was no stranger to them and was known to have been angry over his medical treatment.