Tennessee grocery shooting kills 1 victim, injures 14

(CN) — At least one person has been killed and 14 others injured after a gunman opened fire inside a Kroger grocery store outside Memphis Thursday afternoon.

Police were called to the store located in Collierville, Tennessee, about 30 miles east of Memphis, at around 1:30 p.m.

Collierville Police Chief Dale Lane on Friday identified the deceased victim as Olivia King. He said several people were transported to a local hospital from the scene, some with “very serious” injuries, including one in surgery and another in the ICU. Another person walked up to a hospital with injuries. Ten were Kroger employees and five were customers.

Lane said the gunman, who was identified Friday as 29-year-old UK Thang, is dead from what they believe to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound as law enforcement arrived, and there is no additional threat to the community. He was a third-party vendor for Kroger. His vehicle remained in the parking lot Thursday.

“It's with a broken heart that I have to stand here before you today,” Lane said in a news conference. “Please keep the families in your prayers.”

He said there were 44 employees working in the store with an unknown number of customers, and officers found people hiding in freezers and locked offices.

“They were doing what they had been trained to do: run, hide, fight,” he said. “I hate that we had to do it here.”

Brignetta Dickerson, a cashier who was interviewed by reporters said she worked at the store for 32 years and was at a register when she heard the gunshots and ran toward the delivery receiving area.

“Whoever was in front of me, I just grabbed them and just took off,” she said. “I got back there and closed the door. And I heard him coming to the back. I was like, ‘Oh, crap! Oh, crap!’ And I heard the gunshots again. He came in there where I was, where all of the other people were. He shot one in the head — he shot one of my coworkers in the head, and then he shot a customer in the stomach.”

She said her coworker who was injured was in his 20s.

Authorities have not disclosed any information about a possible motive, but Lane said that search warrants for the suspect’s home would be served late Thursday.

Several local, state and federal agencies responded to the scene, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

“As bad as the scene is — and it's horrific — I've been involved in this for 34 years, and I've never seen anything like it. But our teams came together and worked together, not just the law enforcement agencies, but with the fire [department]. Sometimes there's a delay. There was no delay [today].”

A Kroger spokesperson said the company is cooperating with law enforcement and the store will remain closed while the investigation continues.

“The entire Kroger family offers our thoughts, prayers and support to the individuals and families of the victims during this difficult time,” the spokesperson said, adding that counseling services are being offered to employees.

In a statement, Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris said, “We must embrace the residents of our community as we all sort through this tragedy. We must also work together to prevent these ongoing senseless acts of violence. Mass shootings and gun deaths do not need to be an inevitable part of life.”

U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty have been made aware of the situation.

“Tragic news out of Collierville, TN, that I'm closely monitoring,” Hagerty tweeted. “I'm grateful to law enforcement & first responders for their heroic actions. Chrissy & I are praying for the victims & this TN community that is hurting. My office is available to anyone needing assistance.”

Blackburn said her team is also monitoring the situation, adding, “We are praying for all of the victims.”

Lane called the shooting “the most horrific event in Collierville history.”

“It's horrific,” he said. “We hate that it happened, but this is one of the most resilient communities in America.”

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