A fatal shooting on July 11 at a medical clinic in Collierville, Tennessee has left an orthopedic surgeon dead. 

The incident took place at the Campbell Clinic where Dr. Benjamin Mauck was shot and killed by a patient. The assailant, Larry Pickens, 29, of Memphis, was captured near the clinic entrance minutes after the incident. According to his aunt, Pickens has a history of mental illness,“schizophrenic bipolar paranoid disorder,” and was institutionalized 10 times, most recently a week before this incident. In 2016 he attacked his stepfather with a butcher knife and left him with two punctured lungs. In an ironic twist, Dr. Mauck nursed the stepfather back to health.

A graduate of Lambuth University and the University of Tennessee-Memphis, Dr. Mauck joined the clinic in 2012, specializing in elbow, hand, and wrist surgeries. His untimely demise was confirmed by the clinic’s representatives.

The incident took place in an exam room, with the suspect having spent several hours at the clinic on the day of the murder. Dr. Mauck had operated on his finger previously. Based on preliminary investigations, authorities believe the act to have been targeted. Despite multiple patients and employees present at the clinic during the shooting, no other injuries were reported.

Chief Dale Lane praised the clinic staff’s swift actions to protect others in the crisis, attributing their effective response to active shooter training.

Pickens faces first-degree murder and aggravated assault charges. A bond of $1.2 million has been set.