Tennessee Surgeon Murdered by Patient in Clinic Examination Room

Man charged with the shooting was taken into custody moments after the attack.

An elbow, hand and wrist surgeon in a suburban Memphis orthopedic clinic was shot and killed by a patient in an exam room Tuesday, authorities say.

The victim, Benjamin M. Mauck, MD, had been at the Campbell Clinic in Collierville since 2012. He was a 2006 graduate of the University of Tennessee-Memphis Medical School, according to the clinic website. Just last month, Dr. Mauck had been named one of the top 2023 doctors in Memphis by the Castle Connolly medical group.

The Collierville Police Department has identified the shooter as Larry Pickens, 29, of Memphis. He is charged with first-degree murder and aggravated assault. His bail was set at $1.2M and his preliminary arraignment is scheduled for Thursday.

Campbell Clinic called Dr. Mauck’s death “a tragic loss” and said he was “one of our highly respected and beloved physicians,” in a Tuesday statement about the shooting. The clinic was closed Wednesday. “We ask that you lift his family in prayer,” says Campbell Clinic spokeswoman Irina Ollar.

The shooter’s motive is unclear. One witness to the police response told a local TV crew that Mr. Pickens allegedly has threatened an employee at the clinic over the course of a week. Collierville Police Chief Dale Lane said the suspect had been in the clinic as a patient “for several hours” before the 2 p.m. shooting. He was apprehended outside the clinic minutes afterward with a handgun. OSM