VA employee hurt, suspect dead after shooting at Jasper clinic, officials say

A Veterans Affairs employee was wounded and the suspected shooter was killed after gunfire erupted at a Pickens County VA clinic Tuesday afternoon, officials said.

Officers responded to the VA clinic on East Church Street in Jasper about 1:30 p.m. The mountain town is about 60 miles north of Atlanta.

VA Press Secretary Pete Kasperowicz confirmed a VA employee was airlifted to another hospital for treatment after the shooting.

The shooter was confronted by officers outside the clinic and “killed on site,” officials said. Authorities have not released the name of the wounded employee or disclosed a possible motive for the shooting.

No one else inside the clinic was injured, Jasper police said.

In a statement, the VA said the clinic will remain closed for the rest of the week pending an investigation into the shooting. That investigation will be led by local authorities with help from the VA’s Office of Inspector General.

“VA is rescheduling appointments as necessary and ensuring veterans and staff have access to counseling and chaplain services in the wake of this tragic event,” Kasperowicz said.

Shoppers at a Goodwill store directly next to the clinic were told to stay put after the shooting.

One woman said she was leaving the store with her 4-year-old granddaughter when she witnessed police exchange gunfire with the suspected shooter just outside the clinic.

“As he come around another vehicle that was there on the other side of my car, they yelled at him, ‘Get down. Get down. Get down!,’” Christy Cantrell said. “He fired at them. They shot at him. … He took off to the back of the building.”

Yellow police tape cordoned off part of the store after the shooting. Cantrell said both she and her granddaughter were rattled by the ordeal.

The GBI confirmed it is assisting with the investigation. The FBI said it is also aware of the incident. The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office said deputies are assisting Jasper police.