Photo: CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP/Getty Images
Authorities reported that A Tennessee surgeon was shot and killed by a patient inside an exam room of an orthopedic clinic. Tuesday afternoon.
Local police chief Dale Lane said at a news conference Tuesday that Dr. Benjamin Mauck, who specialized in elbow, hand and wrist surgery, was murdered at Campbell Clinic Orthopedics, located in Collierville.
Officers responded to reports of a shooting at the clinic around 2 p.m. local time. Five minutes later, the suspect was detained “without incident”Lane said.
The suspect, identified Wednesday as Larry Pickens, 29, of Memphis, has been charged with first degree murder and aggravated assault, police said in an update.
Lane said Tuesday that the suspect was found with a firearm in his possession, although it was not in his hand. It appears he had been at the clinic for “several hours,” but it is still unclear what precipitated the shooting.
Police conducted multiple searches of the facility to ensure it was protected.
“This appears to be a one-on-one interaction, it occurred in an exam room,” Lane said.
Police said Wednesday that they had no prior reports on Pickens and that investigators are checking with other agencies to see if he has a criminal record.
Pickens’ bail is set at $1.2 million and he is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday. However, authorities clarified that the shooting remains under investigation.
“We experienced a single shooter event inside our Collierville clinic,” the facility said in a statement to NBC News.
“We are shocked and heartbroken to confirm that the incident resulted in the tragic loss of one of our highly respected and beloved physicians, Dr. Ben Mauck. We ask that you lift his family up in prayer,” said Irina Ollar, director of marketing and public relations for Campbell Clinic.
“We are grateful to our local law enforcement officers who responded within minutes. We will continue to work closely with authorities as this remains an active investigation,” he added.
Last week, Memphis Magazine named Mauck one of “Memphis’s Best Doctors of 2023.”
She has worked at the Campbell Clinic since August 2012 and has earned a 4.9 rating in patient reviews. In addition, Mauck was also director of the Congenital Deformities of the Hand Clinic at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Trey Eubanks, Le Bonheur’s interim president and chief surgeon, said in an email to staff Tuesday: “Ben was a friend to many of us, a respected member of our Le Bonheur family, a dear colleague and a doctor dedicated to so many patients. We miss him already.”
“His death is an unthinkable tragedy, and I don’t know what to say. I am very sorry for those who loved him and knew him, for those who worked alongside him every day, ”he added.
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