Tulsa doctor targeted in hospital shooting earned advanced degree from Emory University
Dr. Preston Phillips (Saint Francis Health System)
ATLANTA - The doctor who was targeted by a gunman at a Tulsa medical complex received one of his advanced degrees from Emory University. Dr. Preston Phillips was one of the four victims killed Wednesday in the shooting.
Dr. Phillips, was killed along with Dr. Stephanie Husen, receptionist Amanda Glenn and patient William Love, police said. The attack occurred on the campus of Saint Francis Health System in Tulsa. Tulsa Police Chief Wendell Franklin identified the shooter as Michael Louis, 45, of Muskogee, Oklahoma.
Phillips was an orthopedic surgeon with an interest in spinal surgery and joint reconstruction, according to a profile on the clinic’s website. He once served as lead physician for Tulsa’s WNBA team before the franchise moved out of state, according to the Tulsa World. His online bio further states he "has advanced degrees in organic chemistry and pharmacology as well as theology from Emory University."
Dr. Cliff Robertson, president and CEO of Saint Francis Health System, called Phillips a "consummate gentleman" and "a man that we should all strive to emulate." He said the three employees who were killed were "the three best people in the entire world" and that they "didn’t deserve to die this way."
The gunman called the clinic repeatedly complaining of pain and specifically targeted the doctor who performed the surgery, Chief Franklin said.
Investigators believe Louis bought his weapons legally, Franklin said. Louis bought an AR-style semi-automatic rifle on the afternoon of the shooting and a handgun on Sunday, the police chief said. The gunman killed himself after the shooting.
The Associated Press contributed to this report