Michael Louis and the 2022 Tulsa Hospital Massacre
Overview of the Attack
On June 1, 2022, 45-year-old Michael Louis carried out a targeted mass shooting inside the Natalie Medical Building on the Saint Francis Hospital campus in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Louis entered the medical complex armed with an AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle and a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun. He went to the second-floor offices of the Warren Clinic Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine department, where he fatally shot four people before taking his own life.
The attack was not considered random. Investigators determined that Louis intended to kill orthopedic surgeon Dr. Preston Phillips, whom he blamed for continuing pain following a recent back operation. Louis also killed three other people who were working in or visiting the medical building. The entire attack unfolded within minutes, causing patients and employees throughout the hospital campus to shelter behind locked doors while police officers rushed toward the sound of gunfire.
Medical Treatment and Growing Anger
Dr. Preston Phillips performed back surgery on Louis on May 19, 2022. Louis remained hospitalized for several days and was reportedly discharged on May 24. After leaving the hospital, he repeatedly contacted Phillips’ office and complained that he was still experiencing serious pain. Medical personnel attempted to address his concerns, and Louis was seen for a follow-up appointment on May 31, one day before the shooting.
Authorities said Louis became increasingly angry because he believed the surgery had failed and that Phillips was responsible for his condition. Police later found a letter on Louis in which he identified Phillips as his intended target. According to investigators, the letter indicated that Louis planned to kill Phillips and anyone who stood in his way.
Firearm Purchases
Louis purchased the handgun used in the attack from a pawnshop on May 29, 2022. On the afternoon of June 1, only hours before the massacre, he legally purchased an AR-15-style rifle from a Tulsa-area gun store. Police reported that Louis also obtained ammunition before traveling to the Saint Francis Hospital campus.
Louis drove to the parking garage connected to the Natalie Medical Building. The second-floor entrance from the garage was open to the public, allowing him to enter the building while carrying the weapons. He proceeded toward the orthopedic clinic where Phillips and other medical employees were working.
The Shooting at the Natalie Medical Building
The first emergency reports were received shortly before 5:00 p.m. on June 1, 2022. One report was made after a physician conducting a remote medical appointment heard information about an armed man inside the building and instructed a patient to contact emergency services. Dispatchers began receiving additional calls describing gunfire and people in danger.
Louis opened fire in the clinic area, killing Dr. Phillips and three other victims. Employees and patients hid in offices, examination rooms and other secured areas. Some people escaped from the building while hospital security procedures were activated across the campus.
Tulsa police officers arrived within minutes. Officers entered the building and moved toward the second floor while gunshots could still be heard. As they approached the orthopedic clinic, they heard what was believed to be the final gunshot. Louis was found dead near Phillips’ office from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Investigators recovered both firearms and dozens of spent cartridge cases from the scene. Several other people were treated for injuries or medical problems connected to the attack, although no additional deaths were reported.
Victims of the June 1, 2022 Massacre
- Dr. Preston John Phillips, 59 – Killed on June 1, 2022, inside the Warren Clinic orthopedic offices in the Natalie Medical Building at the Saint Francis Hospital campus in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Phillips was an orthopedic surgeon who had performed Louis’ back operation on May 19. Police identified him as the primary target of the attack.
- Dr. Stephanie Jolene Husen, 48 – Killed on June 1, 2022, inside the Natalie Medical Building in Tulsa. Husen was a physician specializing in sports medicine and was working in the clinic when Louis entered and opened fire.
- Amanda Dawn Glenn, 40 – Killed on June 1, 2022, inside the Natalie Medical Building in Tulsa. Glenn was a medical assistant and clinic employee who was working in the orthopedic office during the attack.
- William Lee Love, 73 – Killed on June 1, 2022, inside the Natalie Medical Building in Tulsa. Love was accompanying his wife, who was receiving medical care at the clinic. Reports indicated that he attempted to protect others during the shooting.
Police Investigation
Police Chief Wendell Franklin announced that the evidence showed Louis had deliberately targeted Phillips because of his complaints about pain after surgery. Investigators reviewed Louis’ medical contacts, firearm purchases, movements before the attack and communications with members of his family.
Louis reportedly contacted his wife shortly before or during the shooting and told her what he was doing. She then communicated with law enforcement and provided information about his identity and possible motive. Authorities stated that she had not known about his plan beforehand.
Police also investigated a statement suggesting that Louis may have left an explosive device at a residence in Muskogee, Oklahoma, where he lived. Officers searched the location, but no operational bomb connected to the hospital attack was reported.
Michael Louis
Michael Louis, who was also identified in some records as Michelet Louis, lived in Muskogee and had previously resided in several other states. Investigators did not identify a racial or political motive for the attack. The available evidence instead indicated that his actions were driven by anger toward Phillips over the results of his medical treatment and the pain Louis claimed to be experiencing.
Because Louis died at the scene, he was never arrested or placed on trial. The police investigation was therefore focused on establishing his preparations, motive and movements rather than preparing a criminal prosecution.
Community Impact and Aftermath
The shooting devastated the Saint Francis medical community. Phillips, Husen and Glenn were remembered by colleagues as dedicated medical professionals who had spent their careers helping patients. Love was remembered as a devoted husband whose presence at the clinic was connected to his concern for his wife.
The Saint Francis Hospital campus was placed under lockdown during the emergency, and a reunification center was established for relatives of patients and employees. Local, state and federal law-enforcement agencies assisted with the response and investigation.
The massacre occurred only eight days after the May 24, 2022, school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, and less than three weeks after the May 14 supermarket massacre in Buffalo, New York. The timing intensified public concern over mass shootings, access to semiautomatic rifles and threats of violence against health-care workers.
The June 1, 2022 attack ultimately left four innocent people dead, several others injured or traumatized and an entire medical community grieving. Louis’ decision to blame a physician for his continuing pain escalated into a planned act of mass murder that transformed a place of medical treatment into the scene of one of Oklahoma’s most notorious modern shootings.
