A highly respected Tennessee surgeon was shot and killed on Tuesday in a targeted attack undertaken by a former patient who waited hours for the right opportunity to strike. According to police, Dr. Benjamin Mauck was found dead in an exam room in a clinic in Collierville, Tennessee.
Mauck, 43, was working at the Campbell Clinic Orthopedics at the time of the attack, which took place in the clinic. The attacker was apprehended by police outside of the clinic roughly five minutes after the attack. Larry Pickens, 29, is the man accused of killing Mauck. Pickens is now in police custody.
According to Collierville Police Chief Dale Lane, “This appears to be a one-on-one interaction.” While nobody else was physically harmed in the attack, sounds of an up close and personal killing could be heard throughout the building. Police Chief Lane continued, saying, “It was in an exam room,” while also noting that “It was a health care worker and he was a patient.”
The Campbell Clinic shared a short statement about the tragic passing of Dr. Mauck on Facebook. The post reads, in part, “We remain shocked and saddened by the tragic loss of Dr. Ben Mauck. Our hearts are heavy, and we are keeping Dr. Mauck’s family, friends, and colleagues in our prayers at this time.”
The clinic also plans to remain open in the aftermath of the event, continuing to carry out the duty that they have to help their patients whenever possible. “We also recognize that we have a duty to continue providing timely services for the patients who depend upon us for care,” the statement says.
“To that end, all locations have resumed standard business hours, except for our Collierville location which will remain closed. We recognize that returning to work may be accompanied by various emotions and we want to assure you that the safety, and mental and emotional well-being of our employees and patients is of the utmost importance to us,” the statement continued.
Police Chief Lane offered a similar sentiment to the family of the victim. “It’s bad. It’s horrific. It’s terrible. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family.” Commenters posted their own heartfelt thoughts and prayers after the Clinic released the statement regarding Mauck’s death. While there has yet to be justice levied on the man who ended such a young life, many have given their most heartfelt sorrows to the family that lost a father and husband.
Mauck is leaving behind his wife, Rhiannon, along with his two young children. The Campbell Clinic offered one more request to anyone seeing their message on Facebook. “Our priorities are Faith, Family, and Patient Care. At this time we ask for your prayers for the entire Campbell Clinic family.”
This horrific crime is the latest in a long string of violent, criminal incidents in Memphis. Formerly the jewel of the South, Memphis has been taken over by rampant criminality and so has declined rapidly in the modern day.
Featured image: Collierville Police Department, Campbell Clinic
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