Tennessee grocery store attack: 'He kept on shooting'

COLLIERVILLE, Tenn. – A gunman attacked a market store successful an upscale Tennessee suburb connected Thursday afternoon, sidesplitting 1 idiosyncratic and wounding 12 others earlier helium was recovered dormant of an evident self-inflicted gunshot coiled astatine the store, authorities said.

Collierville Police Chief Dale Lane said the shooting broke retired astatine a Kroger market successful Collierville, a suburban assemblage 30 miles (50 kilometers) eastbound of Memphis. He said the gunman changeable 13 others and himself, and that 12 of the victims were taken to hospitals, immoderate with precise superior injuries.

Kroger idiosyncratic Brignetta Dickerson told WREG-TV she was moving a currency registry erstwhile she heard what astatine archetypal she thought were balloons popping.

“And, present helium comes close down america and started shooting,” Dickerson said. “And, helium kept connected shooting, shooting, shooting. He changeable 1 of my co-workers successful the caput and changeable 1 of my customers successful the stomach.”

Ad

Lane said constabulary received a telephone astir 1:30 p.m. astir the shooting and arrived astir immediately, uncovering aggregate radical with gunshot wounds upon entering the building.

He said a constabulary SWAT squad and different officers went aisle to aisle plucking panicked radical from hiding and taking them retired safely. He said the shooter, whom helium described arsenic male, was recovered dormant of an evident self-inflicted gunshot.

“We recovered radical hiding successful freezers, successful locked offices. They were doing what they had been trained to do: run, hide, fight," the main said.

The identities of the shooter and the victims were not instantly released. Lane declined to uncover much astir the fishy astatine a quality briefing Thursday evening, citing the ongoing probe and hunt warrants that volition beryllium carried out.

“We're going to transportation this happening arsenic acold arsenic we tin to spot and marque definite that there's nary other involved,” Lane said, adding that determination was “no credible evidence” that determination was a 2nd shooter.

Ad

The main besides said that, “As acold arsenic we cognize determination wasn’t immoderate different incidental that led up to this.”

Dickerson, the employee, said her co-worker, who is successful his 20s, was changeable successful the caput and asked for his parent to beryllium notified.

“I near her a voicemail that helium was alert and talking,” Dickerson said, incapable to instantly scope her.

Another employee, Glenda McDonald, described the chaotic country to WHBQ-TV.

“I was walking backmost towards the floral section and I heard a gunshot,” she said. “It sounded similar it was coming from the deli. And I ran retired the beforehand doorway and they had already changeable the beforehand door.”

Jason Lusk, 39, had conscionable near a instrumentality store beside Kroger erstwhile helium heard immoderate women screaming successful the parking batch astir a shooter. He didn't spot the gunman, but heard 10 to 15 rounds successful accelerated succession astatine the market store.

Ad

“It sounded similar they were straight implicit my head," helium said, adding helium could consciousness the concussion of each changeable and knew the limb was powerful. Even astatine a region of immoderate 40 yards, helium said, helium disquieted that helium and others astir him were successful sedate danger.

“As the firing started, I dove successful beforehand of my conveyance onto the crushed to supply the astir screen for myself and instructed the radical astir maine panicking, trying to get into the cars, not to get successful their cars, but to really hide," helium said.

Then constabulary arrived wrong minutes and “they swarmed that place," Lusk said. He added that helium utilized his telephone to grounds astatine slightest 2 of the gunman's last shots, and past a last gunshot connected his past signaling of the SWAT squad connected the scene.

At a caller briefing afterward, the constabulary main Lane called it a bittersweet time for his department.

“I've been progressive successful this for 34 years and I’ve ne'er seen thing similar it," helium said.

Ad

The suspect’s conveyance was successful the store’s parking batch and remained portion of the investigation, the main said, adding investigators were trying to find however events unfolded.

“Let’s get done the investigation,” Lane said. "Remember, we’re 2 hours distant from the astir horrific lawsuit that’s occurred successful Collierville history.”

Collierville is simply a increasing suburb of much than 51,000 radical with a median household income of astir $114,000, according to U.S. census figures. Set successful a agrarian and historical area, the municipality quadrate has mostly go known for its boutiques and furniture and breakfasts.

Earlier this year, Tennessee became the latest authorities to let astir adults 21 and older to transportation handguns without archetypal clearing a state-level inheritance cheque and training. The measurement was signed into law by Republican Gov. Bill Lee implicit objections from immoderate instrumentality enforcement groups and weapon power advocates acrophobic the measurement would perchance pb to much weapon violence.

Ad

The Kroger Co., based successful Cincinnati, Ohio, issued a connection that it was "deeply saddened" by the shooting and was cooperating with instrumentality enforcement. The institution successful 2019 asked its customers not to openly transportation guns portion visiting its stores.

A Kroger spokesperson said the Collierville store volition beryllium closed until further notice.

Lights were inactive connected successful the store aft nightfall, chrysanthemums acceptable retired front. The parking lot, wholly roped disconnected with constabulary tape, was inactive afloat of cars, with a dense constabulary presence. Neighboring businesses, including a accelerated nutrient edifice and an car parts store, were closed.

___

Mattise reported from Nashville. Associated Press writer Carrie Antfinger successful Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and News Researcher Jennifer Farrar successful New York contributed to this report.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.