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Report of a nurse getting shot at for wearing scrubs is being scrutinized; police respond

April 4, 2020 | | Print Article
(KFOR video screenshot)

An Oklahoma City nurse who was dressed in her work scrubs as she was reportedly filling up her car’s gasoline at an OnCue station was allegedly shot at (and possibly hit) this week by a stranger who’d accused her of spreading the coronavirus.

There’s just one problem …

Nobody knows:

  • What her name is …
  • When this happened …
  • Whether she was hit …
  • If she even exists …
  • If this even happened …

It’s all part of a mystery that’s gone viral on Facebook thanks to a post that appeared Wednesday evening warning of an alleged encounter that’d occurred between an anonymous nurse and some deranged stranger.

“This morning in Oklahoma City, a nurse was shot at while getting gas before work,” the post read. “She was approached by a subject (also getting gas) who yelled that she was infecting the public because she was wearing her scrubs. The subject then produced a gun and shot at her, striking her windshield. Subject then fled in his vehicle and is still at large.”

The post further urged any medical employees working in the area to take precautions going forward and “wear civilian clothes to and from work.”

A screenshot of the post may be viewed below:

This story quickly spread on Facebook and Twitter.

See some of the Twitter mentions below (*Language warning):

Note how the latter tweet mentioned a “killer” … (???)

After an investigation by Oklahoma City station KFOR, however, it now seems possible this entire story may be a figment of someone’s imagination.

First, the station discovered that the story has been literally transforming in real life.

“As the story was shared on social media, the version grew more dramatic, with one person even claiming the nurse herself was shot,” the station reported.

It was like the telephone game …

Second, the station checked with the management at the OnCue station where the alleged confrontation occurred.

“They said they talked to employees and even went back to the surveillance video, but saw nothing. OnCue says their employees ‘did not hear or see anything and no one reported anything to them.’ They refer to the night in question as ‘business as usual,'” the station confirmed.

That’s odd.

Third, while the Oklahoma City Police confirmed that something had occurred, it reiterated that this something had nothing to do with nurses and the coronavirus.

“At this time there is no indication that anyone is being targeted because of their profession relating to the COVID 19 virus,” the department said.

After receiving the case, the department transferred it to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol for reasons that remain unclear. When KFOR confronted OHP about the incident, it repeated the same message.

“The Oklahoma Highway Patrol received a call around 4:00 p.m. Wednesday afternoon about a reported incident that occurred somewhere along the Kilpatrick Turnpike earlier in the day,” OHP’s statement reads.

“We have assigned investigators to look into this further and cannot release any details because it is an ongoing investigation. However, we can tell the public that at this time, there is no direct evidence that anyone was targeted because of their profession relating to the COVID-19 virus.”

This doesn’t make sense …

And yet the story has continued to grow even more confusing.

OU Medicine, Oklahoma City’s top medical provider, reportedly issued a statement echoing the Facebook post to a T.

“Public health emergencies are stressful times for people and communities but unfortunately, today, one of our nurses was a victim of an act of violence in the community while on their way to work,” the statement read.

“The alleged perpetrator believed that due to the nurse’s role in healthcare, they were exposing the community to COVID-19. Healthcare workers receive comprehensive training on proper use of personal protective equipment, protocols and ways to protect themselves and others.”

“OU Medicine stands in support of all healthcare workers, dedicating their lives to taking care of all of us. We are working with this employee and all of our employees to ensure their safety and appreciate the community’s ongoing support.”

KFOR tried confronting OU Medicine about the inconsistencies it’s found but to no avail.

“No matter what the investigation shows, our staff’s safety is very important to us,” was all OU Medicine would say.

Confused? You’re not alone …

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Vivek Saxena
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