Gunman Shot by Police After VA Clinic Attack in Georgia

A shooting incident at a Veterans Affairs clinic in Jasper, Georgia resulted in one person being airlifted to a hospital and the suspected gunman being shot by responding officers. Police confronted the suspect around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at the outpatient facility that serves about 5,000 residents in the mountain town north of Atlanta.

JASPER, Ga. — Authorities responded to gunfire at a Veterans Affairs medical facility Tuesday afternoon in this Georgia mountain community, resulting in one victim being flown to a hospital and the alleged gunman being wounded by police officers.

Law enforcement arrived at the VA medical facility at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, according to an official city statement posted on social media. When officers found the alleged shooter, they engaged the individual, resulting in the suspect being wounded by gunfire, the announcement stated.

Phone attempts to reach the Pickens County VA facility on Tuesday were unsuccessful, with calls being directed to automated message systems.

The medical facility provides outpatient services to veterans, including primary medical care and specialized treatments such as lab work, remote healthcare consultations, and psychological support services, based on information from the clinic’s official website.

The community of Jasper, home to approximately 5,000 residents, sits about 60 miles north of Atlanta’s city center. Local highway markers identify the town as Georgia’s “First Mountain City” as travelers encounter the beginning of the Appalachian mountain range.

Images published by the Pickens Progress, the area’s local publication, captured numerous law enforcement personnel at the incident location, with officers in protective gear positioned near a shopping center in the community.

The medical facility began operations during summer 2020, according to a Department of Veterans Affairs announcement celebrating its opening.

“The new Pickens County VA Clinic will increase access and ensure that our Veterans continue to receive the high-quality health care that they have earned and deserve closer to their home,” officials said in the release.