Pittsburgh shooter killed in exchange of gunfire with authorities

A gunman died in an exchange of gunfire with authorities Thursday after entering a Pittsburgh psychiatric clinic and opening fire, officials said.

One other person was killed and seven were wounded when the gunman entered through the lobby and started shooting with two semiautomatic weapons.

At an evening news conference, Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said the gunman exchanged shots with authorities and died from his wounds. The mayor praised the University of Pittsburgh police who “acted admirably.”

At least one of the wounded was a university police officer, who was grazed by a bullet. It was not known whether the wounded officer was the one who shot the gunman, officials said. The mayor did not identify him.

According to officials, the gunman entered the lobby of the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, in Pittsburgh’s Oakland area, about 1:40 p.m. local time. The clinic is affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Seven people were injured, six of them by gunfire, officials said.

Two of the injured were treated and released. Some were undergoing surgery and others were expected to have operations in the coming days. All are expected to recover, officials said.

The neighborhood is dominated by major institutions such as the hospital and the clinic. Carnegie Mellon and Carlow and Chatham universities have campuses in the area.

All of the institutions went into lockdown when the first reports of a gunman were broadcast by email and text.

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michael.muskal@latimes.com