On July 11, 2023, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Benjamin Mauck was fatally shot down by a patient in a Campbell clinic in Collierville, Tennessee. According to Fox Memphis, the shooting incident occurred in the exam room at 2:30 am. The shooting suspect, whose name has not yet been publicly identified, is currently in the custody of Collierville authorities.
Trigger warning: This article concerns gun violence, the reader's discretion is advised
As per Commercial Appeal News, the death of Dr. Benjamin Mauck is still in the early stages of an investigation. Officials have not yet confirmed the motive behind the shooting. After the incident occurred, officers searched the clinic to make sure that the murder was an isolated incident. Officers have also been deployed to watch over the area throughout the next few days.
Dr. Benjamin Mauck also used to work at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital
In an interview with WREG, an anonymous witness said the shooting suspect had threatened an unidentified person in the clinic the week before the shooting. On Tuesday, the patient reportedly entered the clinic with a firearm and gunned down Dr. Benjamin Mauck. It remains unknown whether Dr. Mauck was the intended target of the fatal attack.
Authorities arrived at the scene at 2 pm, approximately 5 minutes after the call. They reportedly found the suspected gunman on Poplar Avenue, near the entrance of the Campbell Clinic. The suspect was arrested without incident. After detaining the gunmen, authorities used drones to scan the area for any sign of a further threat.
Collierville Police Chief Dale Lane confirmed to the public that it was not a mass shooting incident, referring to the massacre that occurred in a Collierville grocery store on September 23, 2021.
“So, this appears to be a one-on-one interaction that occurred within an exam room. This was not a mass shooting situation that we experienced at Kroger several years ago, nothing like that,” Lane said.
Fox reported that Dr. Benjamin Mauck was a well-known surgeon who was popular among members of the community. Besides working at the Campbell Clinic, he also worked at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital.
Dr. Trey Eubanks, the interim President of Bonheur Children's Hospital, commented on the tragedy.
“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. His death is an unthinkable tragedy, and I am at loss at what to say. I am so sorry to those who loved and knew him, for those who worked alongside him every day," Dr, Eubanks said.
Chief Lane said that the incident was isolated and that members of the public should not live in fear for their lives.