A highly respected orthopedic surgeon, 43-year-old Dr. Benjamin Mauck, was fatally shot on Tuesday, July 11, 2023, while seeing patients at the Campbell Clinic in Collierville, Tennessee. The male surgeon was in an exam room with a patient when the incident occurred at approximately 2 p.m. The nature of the interaction was described by police as a targeted, one-on-one encounter, as no one else was harmed during the event, despite the presence of numerous other patients and staff members in the clinic.
According to police records and witness statements, the suspect had been at the clinic for several hours before the shooting. A nurse present in the exam room at the time of the incident stated that the gunman pulled a pistol from his waistband and fired three shots, striking Dr. Mauck in the neck, chest, and abdomen. The suspect then fled the scene but was apprehended by Collierville police within five minutes of the initial 911 call.
The individual taken into custody was identified as 29-year-old Larry Pickens of Memphis. He has been charged with first-degree murder and aggravated assault. Pickens, who had been a patient at the Campbell Clinic network for some time, was being treated by Dr. Mauck at the time of the shooting. While a definitive motive has not been publicly released by law enforcement, it was reported that Pickens had exhibited unusual behavior at another Campbell Clinic location in Germantown in the week leading up to the fatal shooting. It has also been reported that Pickens has a history of mental health issues, including a diagnosis of schizophrenia, and had previously informed police that he had not been taking his medication.
Following his arrest, Larry Pickens was booked into the Collierville Jail with his bond set at $1.2 million. During his initial court appearance, he indicated that he would likely be unable to afford bail or a private attorney. The case is set to be heard by a Shelby County Grand Jury. Dr. Mauck, a specialist in hand, wrist, and elbow surgery, was a beloved physician who had been with the Campbell Clinic since 2012 and also worked at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital. He was survived by his wife and two young children.
