Tennessee mass shooting: Kroger survivors hid in freezers as two people dead and four critical

Police respond to 'active shooter' at Tennessee grocery store

At least one person was killed and another 14 shot in a mass shooting near Memphis, Tennessee. At least four were in a critical condition, while five were non-critical.

The shooter is deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.

The shooting occurred at a Kroger grocery store in Collierville, about 30 miles east of Memphis. Collierville police chief Dale Lane told a press conference: “This is the most horrific event to happen in Collierville history.”

“You know obviously it’s like every other community in the country, it’s horrific, we hate that it happened. but this is one of the most resilient communities in America,” he said.

Police, plus fire and rescue crews descended on the location and set up a perimeter after the first reports of an active shooter at 1.30 pm local time. Two medical helicopters touched down at the site and the nearby Collierville High School was put in lockdown.

Police from nearby Memphis arrived at the crime scene to assist local officers with securing the perimeter. While the shooter was deceased, active scenes remained as police searched the gunman’s car that remained in the parking lot.

Brignetta Dickerson was at a cash register and played dead when the gunman “started popping that gun,” hitting one man in the head. She said he could still talk.

“It sounded a bit like a balloon popping. Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap — just like that.” she told WREG-TV.

Another employee Glenda McDonald said she ran out the front door after hearing shots fired from near the deli.

“Several people did get shot — some customers and employees,” she told told Fox 13. “The only thing I heard was the gunshots.”

Key Points

• Casualties increase to 14
• Suspected gunman shot himself, police say
• Employees played dead or run for the door as gunshots began
• ‘Most horrific event’ in town history

[24 September 2021 01:50 · Josh Marcus]

Signing off for tonight

That’s all for today’s live coverage of the shooting in Collierville. Thank you for reading, and do stay with The Independent for all the latest news, analysis, and commentary.