(KNSI) – Questions are being raised about how someone with a history like the suspect behind Tuesday’s deadly attack on an Allina Health clinic got his hands on the gun police say he used to carry out that shooting.
Wright County Sheriff Sean Deringer says that we may never know due to strict privacy laws regarding gun permits and permit applications.
“I will tell you that the Wright County Sheriff’s Office worked with the Wright County Attorney’s office, and we attempted to get a court order signed by a judge that would give us the authorization to release those records, that court order was denied. In Minnesota, gun permit data is very private. It’s private, not public data, and so we have to be very careful about what we release. I can’t even tell you that he made an application. I can’t even tell you that we have don’t have data or we do have data.”
According to a criminal complaint filed in Wright County District Court, 67-year-old Gregory Ulrich was dropped off at the Allina Crossroads Clinic in Buffalo by a local bus service at 10:52 a.m. February 9th walked into the clinic, detonated three bombs, and shot five people, one fatally.
When Ulrich surrendered, police say they recovered a .9mm semiautomatic handgun, two magazines, and extra ammunition packed in a plastic bag.
Records show Ulrich was scheduled for a Rule 20 evaluation, which could have led to his commitment to a mental health facility, but the record allegedly showed Ulrich never showed up. It was not clear if that evaluation was ever rescheduled as the Wright County Attorney says it is a civil matter to be taken up with the Buffalo City Attorney’s Office, as they are responsible for rescheduling. They were not available for comment.
Sheriff Deringer says sometimes, guns are purchased illegally, and occasionally red flags are overlooked or missed. There are people within his office whose sole responsibility is processing permits to purchase or a permit to carry a gun. He explained they are well trained, but sometimes a person’s criminal record is unclear, and if there is any question, those people contact the Wright County Attorney’s Office for help.
Deringer says sometimes it comes down to human error, but sometimes, hands are tied. “The law is clear that if they meet these thresholds, we shall issue [a permit]. It’s not like it used to be where we could still use a little bit more discretion.”
Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans says a team is dedicated to looking into all of the questions raised regarding Ulrich’s past and how he could have gotten the gun. Evans says the laws are complicated at both the state and federal level, but “we will have those answers ultimately at the end of the day.”
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