Veterans Affairs employee airlifted after being shot at Georgia VA clinic. The suspect is dead

By Elizabeth Wolfe, Brian Todd, CNN

(CNN) — A Veterans Affairs clinic employee was shot in Jasper, Georgia, on Tuesday, and the suspected shooter has been killed by law enforcement, a Veterans Affairs spokesperson said.

The shooting was reported at about 1 p.m. at the Pickens County VA Clinic, Jasper Police Chief Matt Dawkins said. Jasper is about 60 miles north of downtown Atlanta.

When officers arrived, they confronted the suspect outside the clinic and fatally shot them, Dawkins said.

The clinic employee who was shot was transported by helicopter to a hospital, VA press secretary Peter Kasperowicz told CNN. Their condition is unknown.

What led up to the shooting is still unclear, and authorities are determining what connection, if any, the suspect had to the clinic.

The suspect has not been publicly identified, but Dawkins said they are a local resident.

The clinic will remain closed for the rest of the week as an investigation is underway, Kasperowicz said.

“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.

The FBI and Georgia Bureau of Investigation will investigate the incident, Dawkins said. Both agencies were on the scene Tuesday, which had been cordoned off with yellow tape and walls of law enforcement vehicles. The VA’s Office of Inspector General will assist with the investigation.

Within minutes of the gunfire, dozens of local and state law enforcement vehicles swarmed the shopping center where the clinic is located, an employee of a nearby appliance repair store told CNN.

Sam Parker, the owner of North Georgia TV Repair, saw “cops coming in by the scores.”

“The place was swarming and they had tactical vests on, you know. They had their bulletproof vests, their guns drawn and everything,” Parker said.

The 69-year-old founded his shop in 2001 and said he has never seen anything like this incident happen in Jasper.

There is no ongoing threat, the FBI in Atlanta told CNN. However, Jasper city officials have asked the public to avoid the area around the clinic.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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CNN’s David Williams, Taylor Galgano and Isabel Rosales contributed to this report.