MPR News Update
Evan Frost | MPR News

Feb. 10, 2021 

Shooting at Buffalo clinic leaves 1 dead, 4 wounded; suspect has long history of conflict in the area

 

Good morning!

No, the Siberian express won't leave us yet. While sunny skies bring the temperatures up a bit today, it'll still be brutally cold, with below-average highs above zero south and in the negative single digits north. Get the latest from the Updraft. 

The suspect in Tuesday's shooting at an Allina Health clinic in Buffalo is "very familiar” to local police for his long history of conflict with clinics in the area. One of the five people seriously wounded in the shooting died last night. 

Among the remaining victims, three were in stable but critical condition and the fifth person had been discharged as of Tuesday evening. While the motive of the shooting isn't known yet, authorities say it's mostly likely that the 67-year-old suspect, Gregory Paul Ulrich, targeted at the specific Allina clinic, "or at someone within that facility.” Court documents show in 2018, Ulrich was ordered to stay away from the clinic and one of the physicians who practices there. Ulrich   is expected in court tomorrow to face charges in connection with yesterday’s attack. 

Minnesota's pandemic picture is bright these days, but the vaccination pace? Not so much. 

While the latest COVID-19 data shows the disease trends continuing to brighten, the state is still struggling for traction on the pace of vaccinations. Minnesota’s seven-day average now sits at just under 24,000 daily doses administered, down from more than 30,000 per day a week ago.

Here are Minnesota’s latest COVID-19 statistics
  • 6,308 deaths (six new)
  • 469,254 positive cases (586 new), 455,280 off isolation (97 percent)
  • 6.8 million tests, 3.3 million Minnesotans tested (about 58 percent of the population)
  • 10.2 percent of Minnesotans vaccinated with at least one dose

What's causing the hiccup in Minnesota's vaccination pace? We look at not-so-high demand, bad distribution and a too small supply to blame for.

After a one-time surge in the vaccination numbers late last month, we are now on our eighth straight day of downward-trending vaccination rates in Minnesota. Why aren’t we getting more shots into arms? Our data reporter David H. Montgomery has a theory: After clearing a big backlog of unadministered doses last month, we now just don't have that many vials left moldering in freezers. Read this analysis  to learn more, where he takes a deep dive into why dose supply seems to be the biggest factor limiting vaccinations.

When those at high risk of getting COVID-19 can't travel to get the vaccine, the shots come to them instead.

Because of their age and their close living arrangements, the nuns at St. Benedict’s Monastery are at high risk from the coronavirus. But traveling to a clinic or hospital to get a vaccination would be a challenge for many of them. So health providers in central Minnesota have come up with a unique strategy to address the challenge: Using a mobile strike team to vaccinate those people who are who are most vulnerable to COVID-19 but have difficulty traveling or don't have access to health care.

On the Day One of his second impeachment trial, Donald Trump lost a key battle: The Senate gave the trial a go-ahead, declaring it constitutional.

As they opened the second impeachment trial against the former president, House prosecutors wrenched senators and the nation back to the deadly attack on Congress. “If that’s not an impeachable offense, then there’s no such thing.” Rep. Jamie Raskin said in his opening remarks. Trump’s lawyers insisted he is not guilty and countered the Constitution doesn’t allow impeachment at this late date. The Senate, however voted to confirm that impeaching a president after he leaves office is constitutionally permissible. Six Republicans joined the Democrats in the vote.

The substantive opening arguments will begin at 11 a.m. today. Follow our live coverage of the Day Two of the impeachment trial on radio and  MPRNews.org.  

🎧 Tune in to stay informed and connected. Here's what's coming up on MPR News today. 

— Jiwon Choi, MPR News MPRNews.org. 

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