MEMPHIS, Tenn. (NewsNation) — Close friends and family members are grieving the life of Dr. Benjamin Mauck, a beloved Tennessee orthopedic surgeon allegedly killed by his patient.
“Ben came from a very large family,” Bart Barker, a close friend of Mauck’s, said during a Thursday appearance on “Banfield.” Growing up in West Tennessee, but also the Memphis area, he had been established there for many years. You have lots of groups of people that are grieving. He was such a brilliant person.”
Mauck was killed by his patient in his exam room at the Campbell Clinic in Collierville, Memphis, around 2 p.m. Tuesday, according to police.
The suspect, identified as Larry Pickens, was taken into custody without incident outside the clinic roughly five minutes after the shooting, Police Chief Dale Lane said during an evening news conference.
The motive behind the crime remains unclear; however, a witness who was in the building told NewsNation Memphis affiliate WREG the patient had been threatening someone at the clinic for the past week. Lane said Tuesday he was not aware of any threats made against the victim.
NewsNation Memphis affiliate WREG contributed to this report.