Shooting occurs at Fort Harrison veterans hospital

Staff and wire report

Montana Veterans Administration reported Thursday that a shooting incident occurred at the Fort Harrison VA Medical Center campus in Helena at approximately 7:30 Thursday morning.

A release said the situation had been cleared and the incident is under joint investigation by the VA Police and the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office.

Preliminary details indicate the incident only involved a single person, the release said. No other injuries were reported.

  U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, issued a statement Thursday.

“The news out of Fort Harrison today is deeply saddening, and I’m in touch with local VA officials and authorities on the ground,” Tester said in the statement. “Mental health is one of the biggest challenges facing Montanans, and it’s clear that we need to make sure everyone — including frontline workers and veterans — are connected with the life-saving mental health care they need and deserve.”

The Montana VA Health Care release said the health care system is unable to provide more information about the incident and deferred all questions to the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office at 406-447-8305, as they are investigating the incident.

The release said that, as of Thursday morning, Fort Harrison VA Medical Center was safe and secure. The facility was open and veterans were being directed to their appointments by staff.

“We encourage any Veteran, family member, or friend concerned about a veteran’s mental health to contact the Veterans Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255 and press 1 or text 838255,” the release said. “Trained professionals are also available at http://www.veteranscrisisline.net . The lines are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. VA Health Care System  is here for our veteran community and has a wealth of mental health resources available.”

The release said Montana VA Health Care System takes the safety of its veterans and staff seriously, and appreciated the quick response and support from the local law enforcement as well as the VA Police.