MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WREG) — A Tennessee surgeon is dead and a patient accused of shooting him is in custody, police said Tuesday.
The shooting happened around 2 p.m. inside the Campbell Clinic in Collierville, located about 25 miles southeast of Memphis. According to Collierville Police, a health care worker was fatally shot by a patient in an exam room.
The suspect, identified as Larry Pickens, was taken into custody without incident outside the clinic roughly five minutes after the shooting, Police Chief Dale Lane said during an evening press conference. The suspect, who reportedly had a handgun “in his possession” when he was apprehended, has not yet been identified.
“This appears to be a one-on-one interaction,” Lane explained, adding that the patient had been in the clinic “for several hours” before the incident.
Pickens, 29, was charged with first degree murder and aggravated assault. His bond was set at $1.2 million.
A witness who was in the building told Nexstar’s WREG the patient had been threatening someone at the clinic for the past week. Lane said Tuesday he was not aware of any threats made against the victim, identified as orthopedic surgeon Dr. Benjamin Mauck in a statement from Campbell Clinic.
“We are shocked and heartbroken to confirm the incident resulted in the tragic loss of one of our highly respected and beloved physicians, Dr. Ben Mauck,” the statement continued. “During this difficult time, we will be working through many details and will keep you updated as we are able.”
Campbell Clinic said its locations will be closed Wednesday, adding that it “will communicate the reopening of all facilities at a later time.”
Dr. Mauck also worked as a surgeon at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. Dr. Trey Eubanks, Interim President and Surgeon-in-Chief at Le Bonheur, spoke highly of Mauck, saying in a statement:
“Ben was a friend to so many of us — a respected member of our Le Bonheur family, a beloved colleague and a dedicated physician to so many patients. We already miss him.”
According to Lane, multiple searches were conducted inside and outside the facility, including drone searches, to ensure there were no other encounters. Officers will remain in the area for the next few days.
Lane also credited those inside for acting on their active-shooter training.
“Don’t live your life in fear. These incidents drive fear […] if we sit around and think about it and worry about it. We just have to be observant, pay attention to our surroundings, do what the people at Campbell Clinic did today. When it began they reacted the way they were trained,” he said.
There is no ongoing threat to the community, Lane noted.
