Patient fatally shoots surgeon in exam room in ‘targeted attack,’ Tennessee cops say
A Tennessee orthopedic surgeon was shot and killed in a clinic exam room by a patient in a “targeted” attack, police said.
Around 2:00 p.m. on July 11, a patient at the Campbell Clinic in Collierville went into an exam room with Benjamin Mauck, an elbow, hand and wrist surgeon, NBC reported.
Sometime later, the patient fatally shot Mauck, Police Chief Dale Lane said in a news conference recorded by WREG.
Lane said the patient had been inside the clinic for several hours prior to the shooting, and the shooting occurred during a “one-on-one interaction.”
The patient ran out of the clinic with a handgun in his possession but was quickly taken into custody by police, Lane said.
Police identified him as 29-year-old Larry Pickens, according to a July 12 news release. He was charged with first-degree murder and aggravated assault.
Investigators said they did not have any prior reports against Pickens, but they are reaching out to other agencies. His bond was set at $1.2 million, the release said.
An employee told WREG Pickens had been threatening someone at the clinic for at least a week leading up to the shooting, but when asked about the threats, Lane said the police department had not received any reports.
Mauck joined the clinic in August 2012, NBC reported, but he also served as the director of the Congenital Hand Deformities Clinic at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis.
Former and current patients and colleagues described Mauck as a “gentle giant” and called the shooting an “unthinkable tragedy.”
Less than a week ago, Mauck was honored as one of Memphis’ 2023 Top Doctors by Memphis Magazine.
“I broke my fingertip in October and Dr. Benjamin Mauck performed my surgery on my hand. I’ve been visiting him every six weeks,” patient Pamela Griffin said on Facebook. “He was a gentle giant with a very humble spirit.”
Another patient said in the comments that Mauck had a “happy smile and calming bedside manner” that helped her through a surgery she was “terrified” of having.
“He was the kindest, gentle soul to ever become a (doctor),” another person commented on the post. “He was the best in his field. I will sure miss him.”
Trey Eubanks, surgeon-in-chief at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, told WREG Mauck was a “beloved colleague” and was dedicated to his patients.
“His death is an unthinkable tragedy, and I am at a loss at what to say,” Eubanks told the outlet. “I am so sorry to those who loved and knew him, for those who worked alongside him every day.”
All Campbell Clinic locations were closed on July 12, and the clinic’s director of marketing told NBC Mauck was a “highly respected and beloved” surgeon.
Collierville is about 30 miles southeast of Memphis.
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