A surgeon has been killed after being shot by one of his patients in his own examination room.
Dr Benjamin Mauck, 43, a hand surgeon from Tennessee, has died after being shot by a patient in his examination room at the Campbell Clinic in Collierville, Memphis.
The incident, described as a targeted attack, occurred at 2pm on Tuesday and witnesses spotted them pacing the facility before carrying out the killing.
The suspect was apprehended by police near the entrance of the clinic and taken into custody.
The police have not released the name, age, or motive of the accused gunman.
Dr Mauck, 43, was remembered as a phenomenal doctor with patients describing him as ‘kind, funny, and smart’.
He leaves behind his wife, Rhiannon Mauck, and their two young children.
Collierville Police Chief Dale Lane said: ‘It’s bad. It’s horrific. It’s terrible. So, this appears to be a one-on-one interaction that occurred within an exam room. This was not a mass shooting situation.’
While police did not identify the shooter, or their motive, Tennessee Senate minority leader Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis) claimed that the gunman had been threatening a clinic worker for a week.
The Democrat also called for gun reform and said they would not have been able to access a weapon under stricter legislation.
He said in a statement: ‘Tragedies like this underscore the urgent need for common sense – like reinstating background checks and gun licenses, and establishing new reforms like an order of protection so police can remove firearms from a person who is threatening others.
‘Whether you’re at school, a grocery store or on the job, you deserve to live and work free from gun violence.’
Just six days ago, Dr Mauck was interviewed by the Memphis Magazine, where he described his love of his job. He said: ‘It’s never boring.
‘This work involves treating sports injuries, trauma, cancer, and soft-tissue defects. It’s a field of orthopedics that crosses over into other specialties like plastic surgery and neurology.’
Dr Mauck graduated from Lambuth University in 2002, before attending med school at the University of Tennessee-MemphisHe worked as a hand surgeon at Campbell Clinic Orthopedics and was also the head of the Congenital Hand Clinic at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital.
Dr Trey Eubanks, interim president, surgeon-in-chief at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, said: ‘We were shocked to learn that Campbell Clinic and Le Bonheur surgeon Ben Mauck tragically was killed today at his clinic in Collierville.
‘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.’
Mauck’s former patient Tori Petrus Eads wrote: ‘I’m heartbroken that Dr Benjamin Mauck was killed today! He has been my doctor for years. He was kind, smart, funny and a great teacher.’
