Sandy MaloneCollierville, TN – Collierville Police Chief Dale Lane said the active shooter inside the Kroger store on Thursday shot at least 13 people – one of them fatally – before he took his own life.
Chief Lane told reporters at a press conference that Collierville police dispatchers received the first 911 call reporting the active shooter inside the Kroger grocery store located in the 200-block of New Byhalia Road at 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 23, WREG reported.
The police chief said the first officers arrived on the scene at 1:34 p.m.
He said that when officers entered the grocery store, they encountered multiple people who had been shot.
Chief Lane said that SWAT officers, patrol officers, and command staff went aisle-to-aisle, room-to-room to clear the Kroger.
He said officers brought employees out of hiding and helped victims that were injured.
The police chief said that at least 13 people had been shot, and one of them has died, but he stressed the numbers were not yet confirmed.
Chief Lane also said the gunshot wounds that had been sustained by the victims were “very serious injuries.”
The chief said victims were being transported to multiple nearby hospitals.
He said the gunman was no longer a threat.
“At this time, the shooter is deceased we believe that’s gonna be from a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Chief Lane told reporters.
He said officers were getting ready to search the vehicle that was believed to have belonged to the gunman.
The police chief also said they were searching the gunman’s body for evidence and information about what may have led up to the shooting.
Chief Lane would not say whether the gunman was an employee of the Kroger.
“At this time, we still have a couple of active scenes that we are working,” he told reporters.
The police chief thanked the Collierville Fire Department and the Memphis Police Department and Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.
“I can’t say enough about the cooperation and the help,” Chief Lane said. “As bad as the scene is, and it’s horrific – I’ve been involved with this for 34 years and I’ve never seen anything like it – but our teams came together and worked together…”
The chief said that all of the agencies had trained together for an active shooter scenario a couple of months ago at Collierville High School.
He said the crime scene was “huge” and that agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) had responded to the scene.
The police chief commended the bravery of the officers who responded to the scene and rushed straight into the store to try to confront the gunman and save civilian lives.
Witness Glenda McDonald said she was working Kroger’s floral department when the gunfire erupted, the Commercial Appeal reported.
McDonald said she had just come out of the back office to work at the counter when she heard what she thought sounded like a gunshot.
“I just ran out the door,” she told the Commercial Appeal. “I left my purse, my keys, everything.”
McDonald said she thought she saw a bagger and some customers get shot before she escaped from the store.
She said she didn’t know how many people had been wounded, the Commercial Appeal reported.
This Kroger employee in Collierville, TN said she saw someone get shot in the head, the back and the stomach and the shooter went back into the Kroger when law enforcement arrived during this afternoon’s active #Krogershooting pic.twitter.com/72LP6MkOIH
— Brad Broders (@BradBrodersTV) September 23, 2021
#Update #Activeshooter at Kroger in Collierville, #Tennessee. Multiple injuries reported. pic.twitter.com/gU6bRN6AyA
— RawNews1st🎥📰 (@Raw_News1st) September 23, 2021
DEVELOPING: New video shows the moment officers arrived at the scene of a reported active shooter incident at a Kroger in Collierville, Tennessee. pic.twitter.com/mhglj4luP8
— UA News (@UrgentAlertNews) September 23, 2021
⚠️🇺🇸#URGENT: Active shooter situation leaves multiple injured at Kroger Grocery in Tennessee#Collierville l #TN
Police are on scene at Kroger Grocery at 240 New Byhalia following reports of an active shooter. Shooter has committed suicide inside.
Working to verify victim count! pic.twitter.com/dpNNR8Knx5— Intel Point ALERT (@IntelPointAlert) September 23, 2021
So someone has just went postal in Kroger here in Collierville Tennessee, really safe near where I work. 5 people shot with an active shooter running. Must be over a thousand cops here as far as from Memphis.🥺Please pray for the families & finding the shooter. pic.twitter.com/RGptjwskNo
— 🏹🤍Stacey🤍🏹 (@Heavens__Sent) September 23, 2021
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Holly Matkin
