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The proposed redevelopment would require the demolition of the multipurpose office building that currently occupies the site and the creation of two smaller, drive-thru equipped buildings with a shared parking lot between them. Most of the meeting’s discussion focused on parking and queuing at the two facilities.

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Chipotle’s developer, Allison Morgan of Minneapolis-based Capital Real Estate, spoke before the Commission to clarify details of the project. The second building, to the north of the proposed Chipotle, was described by Morgan as a planned coffee shop with “a round logo, green in color,” a comment that was met with knowing laughs by much of the Commission.

Monday’s hearing, simply an opportunity for the Commission to share its first impressions of the project, was only the first step of a months-long process by which the restaurant is seeking city approval and it will likely be a minimum of a year before any proposed opening date.

“This is a good start,” noted Planning Commission Chair George Fantauzza near the end of the discussion. “We’d like to see this as a development.”

Photo courtesy of David Kelly, City of Buffalo

Ulrich was faced with 11 counts, the most serious of which were one count of first-degree murder and four counts of attempted first-degree murder. While Ulrich openly admitted he perpetrated the attack, his defense contested the degree of planning before Ulrich opened fire at the clinic. Per Minnesota statute, “premeditation and with intent to effect the death of the person or of another” must be proved to convict on the count of first-degree murder, a charge that carries a mandatory life sentence.

Lindsay Overbay was killed and four other nurses injured when Ulrich opened fire at the clinic. He had previously been in conflict with the clinic employees over prescription painkillers. Ulrich was represented by public defender Virginia Murphrey and her partner. Wright County Attorney Brian Lutes and Assistant Attorney Shane Simonds represented the state.

The trial has been emotional for the whole community but most of all so for those connected with the clinic and its staff. Yesterday brought emotional testimony from victims and their families and today included a strong courtroom showing from Dr. Andrew Burgdorf and Allina clinic staff who watched from the front row, some hugging and crying during courtroom breaks. Today brings more closure to a community that has sought to come together after this tragedy, offering new mental health resources and recently hosting a community event and health fair on the one-year anniversary of the attack. Many hope this verdict will allow Buffalo to move forward and focus on the future.

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The Defense

The day began with a series of questions posed by both Ulrich’s public defender and Judge McPherson to make certain Ulrich understood his rights under the 5th amendment and that he had decided to testify without coercion. The previous day, Ulrich had asked to leave the courtroom as he was in great pain and would prefer to lie down in an adjacent room. McPherson denied his request, saying it was important that Ulrich be present for the day’s testimony, including that of the surviving shooting victims and Lindsay’s sister.

McPherson questioned Ulrich regarding his choice to testify, “Can you think clearly and understand everything that is going on?” “I understand everything that is going on and have thought about it for a year.”

The 68-year-old Ulrich wore an untucked blue button-down shirt and sat feebly in his wheelchair beside his attorneys.

After a brief period, McPherson asked if either party had anything for the record before the jury was brought in. Ulrich’s defense team made a motion for a mistrial citing
the “prejudicial impact” of shootings around the nation “in Buffalo, NY, the same name as this city, and yesterday at a medical facility” claiming the connections make a fair trial for Ulrich impossible.

Lutes argued “I don’t think there is any basis for a mistrial. I think the jury will decide this case based on information and evidence provided.” McPherson agreed and the proceedings continued.

The jury of 16 entered the courtroom and took their seats. This number was later cut to 12 as four were dismissed as alternates.

As Ulrich, the day’s only witness took the stand he began to recount his battles with severe pain and troubles obtaining prescription painkillers. Ulrich explained he has scoliosis and that the pain started after a scaffold accident in 1977, leaving him with a lesioned disc. Continuing to seek treatment for his condition, around 2015 Ulrich claims to have begun requesting oxycodone after 30 years without the drug.

The 2016 Allina nurses strike postponed Ulrich’s scheduled surgery, which was eventually completed that December. After his procedure, Ulrich was prescribed painkillers on a short-term basis. “I started weaning about 5% a day. I was given enough pain medication, if I followed the prescription strictly, for 5 days but it lasted me 10 days before I ran out,” Ulrich testified.

A nurse began making daily visits to Ulrich’s Buffalo residence to check on his prescription usage. “I didn’t trust her,” said Ulrich. “I told her not to look at my medications” Ulrich explained he took many medications for a variety of conditions such as gout, neuropathy, and allergies, as well as to regulate his blood pressure and heart rate.

“She was snooping around looking in my refrigerator and my room,” said Ulrich. “We got into a dispute over where I had hidden my narcotics.”

Ulrich repeatedly veered off-topic and ignored the objections of Assistant Wright County Attorney Shane Simonds, prompting McPherson to admonish him, “Mr. Ulrich, when he says objection you have to stop talking.”

He explained that his pain intensified after he ran out of pills and his nurse refused to refill the prescription, accusing him of abusing his medication. “She left and four hours later I was in so much pain I couldn’t even reach the telephone,” said Ulrich. “I screamed,” he added, indicating no one came to his aid.

In a long exchange that drew several relevance objections from the prosecution, Ulrich recounted an ordeal during which he was brought to a Minneapolis hospital and held, as he claims, against his will for seven days. In the hospital, his health deteriorated further. “It got worse, I got an injury in the hospital to my spine, ” said Ulrich. “I was trying to commit suicide because the pain was so bad.”

When he returned home, Ulrich asked the doctor about receiving pain medication, a request he denied. Ulrich says he was unaware he had been labeled as a drug seeker. According to the Star Tribune, Ulrich continued to contact Allina in hopes of obtaining opioids and eventually began threatening acts of violence toward the clinic and physician Dr. Andrew Burgdorf.

Desperate, Ulrich admitted in court to sending letters to as many as 50 doctors seeking medication. After repeated denials, he began sending letters to elected officials and law enforcement including Buffalo’s mayor, Buffalo PD, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the Wright County Sheriff’s Office, and “even the White House, even Trump.” No one would help him in his struggle to obtain opioids.

“My life was over, I was dead as far as I was concerned,” Ulrich said. “If I was dead I had nothing to worry about. […] My life was over. No fishing, no canoeing, just laying in bed crying and having bad dreams.”

After five years of writing letters, Ulrich gave up and turned to plotting his attack.

The Attack

Defense attorneys next shifted to discussing the details of the attack. When asked why he went to the clinic the morning of February 9th, Ulrich replied, “I intended property damage […] I had to bring attention to what these people had done to me and I had all the documentation. I wanted to inform the public.” Ulrich claimed to have brought the gun as it was the easiest way to take out the windows. He wanted to attract as much attention to his crusade as possible, and also said he believed insurance would cover the cost of any damages. “I wanted to sensationalize it and get more attention, get it in the papers,” said Ulrich. “I would like people to understand what that pain is like without pain mediation.”

Ulrich said he had “one bullet for each person but after the first bullet I lost control of the situation […] I shot as little as I could and if I hit anything I stopped.”

By the time Ulrich stopped shooting five Allina employees lay bleeding, their bodies perforated with bullet holes. Lindsay Overbay was pierced from behind as she fled toward a side door, the bullet severing Lindsay’s spine and destroying her liver, causing her to bleed out on the clinic floor.

Ulrich said he returned to the front of the building to retrieve his briefcase and began setting his pipe bombs to detonate around the building. Next, he shot out the windows in the clinic lobby while calling 911, telling police “I would send ambulances, we have critical spine injuries.”

The defense maintained that Ulrich was only interested in causing property damage and did not intend to kill anyone that day. At the end of their direct examination, the defense asked Ulrich why he chose not to include nails in the pipe bombs he detonated. Ulrich replied, “I didn’t want people to be hurt.”

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The Case Against Ulrich

The prosecution began by laying out the steps Ulrich took to prepare for his attack. They highlighted his purchases of a Smith and Wesson 9mm handgun, ammunition, and pipe bomb supplies in the months prior.

During cross-examination, Ulrich admitted to shooting Tamera Schaufler at close range and then traveling down the hallway where he claims to have seen three more Allina employees, shooting two of them.

When asked if he knew Overbay prior to the incident or if she had ever provided him with medical care, Ulrich replied “No, just her company. I had no idea who she was.”

As previously testified, victim Sherry Curtis was treated for six gunshot wounds at the hospital although Ulrich maintained he only shot her once, claiming it was “Six holes from one bullet.” At this, several jurors appeared visibly confused.

Ulrich admitted to shooting each of the victims individually when asked by the prosecution. Afterward, the prosecution rested its case.

Closings

After a short break, Judge McPherson read the charges jury instructions to the jurors before the prosecution began its closing statement.

Dr. Andrew Burgdorf, a prominent Allina clinician previously threatened by Ulrich, and over a dozen Allina staff members, many clad in scrubs, sat in the front rows of the courtroom during closing arguments.

Brian Lutes began the state’s passionate closing remarks “Innocent defenseless victims were critically injured because of the defendant’s senseless attack. The defendant got a pistol, got on the trailblazer, arrived early at the clinic, and shot five nurses, Lindsay Overbay being one of them.”

Lutes continued, “The natural and probable consequence of shooting someone in the torso is someone dying […] You need only look at what happened to Lindsay Overbay to see the truth of that statement. […] He doesn’t get to decide with his words after the fact that he didn’t mean to kill Lindsay Overbay. He doesn’t get to decide that with his word when his actions show otherwise.”

Referencing the duty put on his legal team to prove Ulrich’s guilt, he said “The state has a heavy burden in this case and I accept that burden. Presumption of innocence is just that, a presumption, and it is a presumption that can be overcome, and we have overcome it in this case.”

“Don’t be fooled for a second that that man cares for the people she had shot on his 911 call,” cautioned Lutes. “You don’t purposely shoot innocent defenseless victims and pretend to care about them.”

Assistant Attorney Shane Simonds reminded the jurors, “Remember him talking about sensationalism, it’s sad but it’s true, the more that you kill the more sensational it is going to get.”

The prosecution re-aired several exhibits including photos of the destruction inside the clinic after the attack and a video of Ulrich in December 2020 when he spoke outlandishly saying “You picked on the wrong person. […] Anyone over 80 should have a special license for super leniency when it comes to narcotics because when you’re 80 what do you got to lose. Pain causes people to be violent […] Grab your f***ing pistol and go down there and kill as many nurses as you can.”

Simonds continued, “When he draws his handgun on each person, that’s premeditation, when he enters the employee area, that’s premeditation, when he prowls the back hallway, that’s premeditation, when he raises his gun, that’s premeditation. […] His intent was to destroy and his intent was to kill.”

Finally, becoming slightly emotional, Simonds said, “It’s not rash or unconsidered, it is the opposite, this is as premeditated as it gets. […] The presumption one has when you are shooting at someone is that you are going to kill them and you are da** lucky if you don’t.”

The defense laid out a comparatively brief closing that included the playing of Ulrich’s February 9th, 2021 911 call. They cited his willingness to surrender and calls for an ambulance as signs he didn’t want bloodshed. Murphrey claimed “His plan to go there was to create havoc and get publicity” but not to kill.

“The evidence is that as convoluted as this plan was, that as cruel as this plan was, it was to get attention and press and that is what happened. But it is not premeditated murder.”

She concluded somberly, “Perhaps the reason [for the 911 call] was that after he had done it he realized they were human beings, not just Allina.”

The case was then turned over to the jurors who after an afternoon of deliberations convicted Ulrich on all counts. Sentencing will be held on June 17.

The question came before the City Council after Jay Johnson, the owner of Johnsonville LLC which operates the property, appealed the city’s citation for code violations.

Johnson was originally cited with four ordinance violations, but one, pertaining to a non-permitted fence line, was dismissed, and two others, concerning a prohibited wood-burning stove and prohibited outdoor storage of construction materials, were tabled for later discussion.

City Attorney Susan Dege explained that pursuant to Buffalo City Code Sections 13.06 Subd. 1(f), 13.07 Subd. 1(c) and 13.06 Subd. 2(B), which regulate the size and manner of display for signs within the city, the flag is in violation of municipal sign ordinances, namely because the flag is too large, flying outside of the permit timeframe of election season, and being flown on a piece of construction equipment. The full Buffalo City Code is available here. Footage from the Monday, May 17th meeting can be viewed here.

“There are free speech rights,” Dege explained, “however, the Supreme Court has analyzed in several cases what a city can do. The city can’t focus on a message, but what the city can do is regulate the time, place and manner of when signage is allowed.”

Three notices of violation were given, each carrying a $200 fine. Johnson has not paid any of the fines while engaged in the administrative appeal process. The city is seeking a total fine of $600 for all violations incurred.

There was some debate surrounding the definition of a sign and whether the flag on the Johnsonville property meets that definition. The City of Buffalo defines a sign for code enforcement purposes broadly as, “Use of words, numerals, figures, devices or trade marks by which anything is made known such as individuals, firms, professionals, businesses, services or products and which is visible to the general public.” 

Johnsonville’s attorney, Devlan Sheahan of Minneapolis, argued that the flag not only is not a sign, but that the city is trying to inappropriately regulate Johnson’s speech. 

“I ask you to think about one fundamental principle,” said Sheahan,“that’s for a person to have their privacy. For a person to have the right to be in their home, on their property, and not be bothered. It’s a right that is most important when it touches on a person’s beliefs, ideology and principles.”

Sheahan continued, “The city is here trying to impose fines on Mr. Johnson and they are trying essentially to punish his beliefs, punish his viewpoints, and the mechanism for doing that is Section 13 of Buffalo’s city ordinances. What Section 13 regulates is the use of signage, and there’s a distinction. As English speakers, it’s pretty obvious to us that there is a distinction between a sign and a flag. Really it’s quite simple, what Mr. Johnson has on his property does not violate Section 13 of the Buffalo City Code because it is not a sign.”

Later, Jay Johnson addressed the City Council directly stating, “I’m a reasonable guy and I’d like to say that in the end you’re reasonable, but I really think that we’re going to take this to court and we’re going to do it the hard way and I’m going to win. I don’t want to do that, but, if I have to, I will.”

“You have the choice to either back away, or battle with me. I’ll do whatever I need,” elaborated Johnson.

Johnson also explained some of his motivations behind the flag. “The idea of putting the flag up is not to offend anybody. I told the police chief that the reason I put the flag back up is because when I put it back up a woman drove in, tears running down her cheeks, and she said, ‘Thanks Jay for putting that up again. That gives me hope.’”

Members of the public were given time to address the council on the matter as well. There were some tense moments when community members addressed the council and calls to regain order were occasional.

Some questioned how the city will enforce this provision of the City Code equally throughout the city, specifically addressing the many other flags and signs through the city. One woman pointed out that the 8 sq. ft. maximum for non-permitted signage within the city is often violated, explaining how a 5ft x 7ft American flag would far exceed that limit, measuring 35 sq. ft.  It was noted that Minnesota and American flags are exempted from City Code provisions at private residences per state law. 

Others spoke about feeling squeezed by the application of an ordinance they believe limits citizens’ freedom of speech and freedom of expression. No one from the public spoke at the meeting in support of the flag’s removal.

City Administrator Laureen Bodin said that of the about 200 comments the city has received concerning the flag, roughly half were in favor of the flag’s removal and roughly half supported leaving the flag as is.

After hearing input from the community, the City Council voted unanimously to follow the recommendation of City Attorney Dege and begin civil proceedings against Johnson seeking the flag’s removal and $600 dollars in fines for the code violations. The case will now be presented before a judge who will review the merits of each argument. 

Photo by Matthew Scherber

One student spoke out against what they see as bias in our school and local community, “All of the injustice that I’ve seen over the entirety of my life, from my family even, it’s frankly disgusting and I want to do whatever I can to help the people around me.” Another student expressed their perspective, “Saying that a person’s life matters shouldn’t be a political statement, it’s ridiculous that it has to be a hashtag.” Some speakers were more vulgar in their speech, one student saying “I’m tired of this police system that kills people. All cops are b******* and f*** the police.”

One of the primary speakers was BHS sophomore El-Sara Duopu. When asked how it felt to see her peers there in support of the movement, Duopu said, “It was really moving because even though not even half the school was there, at least some people had the courage to decide to go.” As for those who didn’t choose to attend the walkout, Duopu said “It depends on your reason but if you didn’t go just because your friends didn’t go or just because you’re close-minded, you should re-evaluate your values and what you actually think being a good citizen of the United States. A lot of people who didn’t go see themselves as patriots, but fighting for your fellow citizens rights shouldn’t be something that is made fun of or ignored.” 

Although Duopu found the support of the movement in our community inspiring, she believes we still have a long way to go. Duopu encouraged her fellow students to stand up against bias. “Basically just not having any tolerance for it.” Duopu said “The more lenient you are with people the more they think it’s okay. If someone is ashamed of behaving that way, they’re not gonna do it. When you cast it aside – that goes for staff and students too – being silent is the equivalent of partaking in whatever someone’s doing that is negative.”

Some students within the school hold contrasting opinions but respect the cause of the protest. Sophomore Malaki Cabanting made a widely viewed snapchat post with a photograph of the walkout entitled “What bull s***” When later asked to elaborate on his feelings towards the protest he stated “I am not saying it was pointless, but I feel like it [police brutality] doesn’t really affect us in Buffalo, so I don’t think it [the walkout] was necessary here”. Elaborating on his controversial post, Cabanting said “I wanted to state my opinion. I thought that people would agree with me, and sometimes people are too afraid to say stuff that they believe in.”

There has been further talk of other potential walkouts for various causes but plans have not been finalized.

Facilitators from youth activism organization Minnesota Teen Activists met participants near the student parking lot and encouraged some to go in front of the group to share anecdotes of experiences of racism and prejudice in the school and in the wider community. The crowd cheered and applauded with each new speaker.

Many of the speakers touched on the subjects of violent police confrontations, but also spoke about of bullying, homophobia, and general discrimination toward minority groups. Several of the speeches were punctuated with explicit language. As they spoke, some community members looked on from outside of the group. Teachers and staff members did not participate in the walkout, though some school personnel and the school resource officer were on-site for supervision and safety reasons.

A small contingency of counter-demonstrators briefly drove back-and-forth around The Rock, some with messages like “Back the Blue” painted on their vehicles while playing music loudly. Shortly after they began, the counter-demonstrators seemed to disappear, either heading back to the school or leaving the grounds entirely.

The walkout ended in a moment of silence at 1:47, a symbolic time commemorating the death of 20-year-old Daunte Wright, who was shot and killed by a police officer during a traffic stop, days before in Brooklyn Center. Afterward, students returned to their fourth block classes. Teachers were told that students were accountable for any missed work and class time.

Earlier on the morning of February 9, shots and explosions rang out at the Allina Crossroad Clinic. Details were still hazy but the Wright County Sheriff’s Office called a press conference to address the community. 

After first learning about the shooting like most other Buffalo residents, on social media, Lachermeier attempted to assess the situation while fielding calls and messages from the city residents and major news outlets. Shortly after getting off the phone with Governor Tim Walz, who expressed his sympathies and condolences,  Mayor Lachermeier arrived at the County Courthouse. A press pool was forming inside in preparation for the announcement. As she entered, she saw the familiar face of the Buffalo Police chief.

“I walked in and the Sheriff wasn’t there yet,” said Lachermeier, “but Chief Budke was there and I walked up and I gave him a hug. I said ‘hi’ to him and then the Sheriff walked in and I gave him a hug. A lead member of the FBI was like ‘You guys all know each other?’ and I go, ‘Well we’re like family. We work together all the time.’ and he’s like, ‘You’re all talking. You good with that?’ And the Sheriff [pointing at Lachermeier] says, ‘She can do it.’ So I knew that at that moment that I was going to be speaking.”. 

Many saw Lachermeier as she spoke alongside state and local law enforcement officials, trying to provide a bit of solace in the uncertainty. As she came to the podium, she recognized a few community members in the audience.

“I look at the audience and Dr. Burgdorf is sitting out there. We had just gotten the report that he was the person he was aiming for. And over here is Amy Koch. She used to be a Senator and runs a political podcast. So I have two people I know and I’m focusing in on them. I do this [heart shaped gesture] and I see Dr. Burgdorf breaking down. That’s why Pat [Budke] and I got so emotional when we spoke, because we had two people we knew that were there for all the right reasons. It was the perfect setting to talk to the community because I had two people that I knew and trusted in the audience.”

The next morning, Lachermeier still felt a sense of disbelief.

“It was super raw, but I wasn’t able to feel it yet.” said Lachermeier, “It was like when you have a death in your family and you wake up the next day and you go ‘Was that just a nightmare?’.”

But it wasn’t a nightmare. Instead our community had been hit hard, and as mayor, Lachermeier knew it was her duty to help lead us through our collective recovery.

“The smaller the city, the bigger the hug.”

As it began to process the full breadth of what had happened, Buffalo rallied its support around local law enforcement and Allina staff. Volunteer lists formed and donations poured in from across the state and nation. Many residents reached out to Lachermeier hoping to get involved.

“I had gotten an email from Dani Palmer,” said Lachermeier, “she’s a community member who said she had 100 people that want to volunteer their time and services to the victim’s families and Allina.”

Lachermeier asked Palmer to come to the city offices for a meeting with various community leaders to try to line up the best way for her to help. 

“At that meeting, I said, ‘We need to come up with three things that will help bring us together as a community. To show we can do this together, we’re strong.’ And someone said ‘you mean Buffalo strong.’ And Buffalo Strong was born.” 

Later they would decide on the tagline Care, Connect, and Continue.

Organizers sought to utilize everyone’s talents in the most effective ways possible. Dani Palmer spoke up to put her career skills to good use.

Palmer, a web designer by trade, worked with Lachermeier to launch buffalostrong.care. The logo was designed by one of Palmer’s colleagues who created it overnight, taking time out of their vacation to Mexico. Within hours, over 1000 volunteers had signed up through the website.

Other community members stepped in to help fundraise and donate food such as the Buffalo Chamber of Commerce and J&J Athletics. 

“You can’t ignore when someone wants to help,” said Lachermeier, “because they might be that person like Dani Palmer, who kind of puts it all together. I definitely believe that you’ve got to hone in on the people that want to help. Let them have a voice. If someone has gifts, let them use them, because the minute someone becomes involved, they are now connected to the community. Now they feel like they have ownership.”

Sunflowers and a New Dog

Buffalo is now focused on building back after tragedy and continuing to heal. With the funds raised through buffalostrong.care and various grants, the city is looking to provide the community with additional coping mechanisms and resources to address mental health concerns in the Buffalo area.

“Through the funds raised, we are looking at something called First Aid for Mental Health.” said Lachermeier, “It’s a mental health situation training for anyone who wants it. It’s normally $25 a person. We’re talking about doing larger trainings, or Zooms, that we can have for any community member who wants to and then have it paid for with the money we’ve raised. That’s our next initiative.”

Moving forward, the Buffalo Police Department is also looking at options for more mental health resources, including the introduction of a new mental health service dog in the coming months.

“The Police Department also came upon a dog, named Luna, that they have for mental health. She is basically a dog that will deescalate a call that’s mental health related. So Luna is someone we want to introduce through Buffalo Strong. We will probably do it in May because she’s still being trained.”

Many in the community have found creative ways to continue to show their support for Allina staff and first responders. All throughout town, residents have installed purple lights as a simple way of showing their gratitude. One man has come up with an exciting new idea that the whole community could enjoy.

“Another thing to come out of this is a gentleman named Johnny Fish, who makes beautiful sunflower fields for people to come and enjoy. He calls it Serene and he’s bringing it to Buffalo. He would like to look at property by the Crossroads. I say let the sun shine in. These sunflower fields are going to be a great asset.”

Lachermeier hopes that Buffalo can build back stronger and more united, using this tragedy as a catalyst for positive change.

“I look at it as an opportunity for possibility.” said Lachermeier, “It’s unfortunate that Lindsay lost her life, and that her children will grow up without a mother, but why can’t something wonderful come out of that? Although it was a terrible circumstance, I think something beautiful is going to come out of it with this mental health piece.”

Lachermeier thanked the community for all its support and anticipates a brighter future together.

“It was like watching a symphony be written, how things just came together.” Lachermeier said, “It was like a quilt that was put together, and hopefully we will continue to sew.”

Some have been critical of the response of the local justice system after reports emerged outlining that Ulrich had made several threats to cause harm at the clinic in the past and had previously been issued a restraining order, barring him from visiting the clinic. However, Lutes and Wright County Sheriff Sean Deringer urged the public to resist the urge to blame anyone but Ulrich for the shootings at the clinic on Tuesday.

“Gregory Ulrich went to Allina clinic, knowing that he was going to shoot up that clinic,” Lutes said. “Gregory Ulrich went to that clinic, knowing that he was going to explode bombs at the clinic. He did just that, cowardly injuring innocent people.”

Lutes also praised the valiant efforts of first responders at the scene.

“I’m proud of how law enforcement swiftly and courageously responded,” Lutes said. “They entered the medical clinic not knowing if their lives were in jeopardy from this active shooter.”

Deringer told the press that the community is mourning the loss of life and that now isn’t the time to criticize previous police encounters with the suspect.

“I think that it’s human nature for us, we want to push blame,” Deringer said, “but now is not the time to push blame. We are all working very hard to bring this to a conclusion, give closure and justice to those who have been victimized in our community. While I know we have had previous threats made by Mr. Ulrich, I want you to know, there has been nothing recent, in the past several months or even year, that we would’ve been aware of or taken immediate action based on to try to prevent or circumvent what happened on Tuesday morning.”

He continued, “If we’re going to push blame, I would like to push blame on Mr. Ulrich, who was responsible for the devastation that happened in our Buffalo community.”

Photo by Matthew Scherber