After a week of “threatening a clinic staffer,” Larry Pickens shot and killed orthopedic surgeon Dr. Benjamin Mauck, in an examination room at his Collierville, Tennessee, clinic.
Surgeon murdered in office
Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Benjamin Mauck was shot to death on July 12 in his Campbell Orthopedics Clinic. According to Major David Townsend with the Collierville Police Department 29-year-old Larry Pickens remains in custody.
The Memphis resident has been booked on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated assault in what police are calling a “targeted attack.”
Bail for Pickens has already been set at $1.2 million and his arraignment is scheduled for later in the week. This remains a developing story so details are sparse. New York Post reports that the suspect’s motive for killing the surgeon is “currently unclear.”
July 2023. Collierville, Tennessee. Larry Pickens, 29, of Memphis is charged with first-degree murder and aggravated assault for the killing of an orthopedic surgeon who specialized in elbow, hand and wrist surgery. Dr. Benjamin Mauck at the Campbell Clinic Orthopedics was the… pic.twitter.com/0GXazm6ihO
— Southern Man (@MagicBelle1) July 12, 2023
They also note that Tennessee Senate Minority Leader Raumesh Akbari representing Memphis claims “a witness accused the shooter of threatening a clinic staffer over the course of a week.” He doesn’t say why police weren’t alerted sooner.
What we do know is that police had already acknowledged that Pickens “likely lay in wait” for the surgeon, staking the clinic out for “several hours.”
Once he decided to make his move, he fired a handgun and ran out of the clinic. Police confirm that “he was apprehended without incident five minutes later.”
Elbow, hand and wrist specialist
According to his biography, Dr. Mauck was a prominent surgeon who specialized in elbow, hand and wrist procedures. Accomplished practitioners of that particular skill aren’t easy to come by and the community will miss him tremendously.
He had operating privileges at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, where he “boasted a 4.9 rating with patients and was named on Memphis Magazine’s 2023 Top Doctor List just last week.”
The clinic released a statement to patients regarding the death of the beloved surgeon. “Earlier today, we experienced a single shooter event inside our Collierville clinic.” Patients will have a hard time finding another doctor.
Dr. Benjamin Mauck, a Tennessee surgeon, was shot to death in an exam room by a patient who laid in wait at the clinic for “several hours” before carrying out the targeted attack.
Permitless carry went into effect in Tennessee in 2021. https://t.co/U6BqzNn9HG
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) July 12, 2023
“We are shocked and heartbroken to confirm the incident resulted in the tragic loss of one of our highly respected and beloved physicians, Dr. Ben Mauck.” He left behind his wife Rhiannon and two children.
“We appreciate our local law enforcement officers who responded within minutes. We will continue to work closely with authorities as this remains an active investigation.”
Dr Trey Eubanks, a fellow surgeon who serves as interim president and surgeon-in-chief at Le Bonheur, sent an email around to staff: “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.“
