The gunman who allegedly killed a woman and injured another 14 people at a Tennessee Kroger on Thursday was a third-party vendor for the grocery chain, according to police.
Collierville Police Chief Dale Lane said in a press conference on Friday that the suspected shooter, who was identified as 29-year-old Uk Thang, worked at the store on a daily basis and seemingly had no specific target. Police found him dead after the shooting from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
ONE DEAD AND 14 INJURED IN TENNESSEE GROCERY STORE SHOOTING
Lane said law enforcement executed a search warrant at a residence associated with Thang and are processing electronic and other evidence. The police chief refused to speak the suspected shooter’s name while talking to reporters, saying he didn’t want to give him notoriety. Media were directed to obtain the name from another officer after Lane’s on-camera remarks.
Police identified the deceased victim as Olivia King, a widowed mother of three children, according to the Commercial Appeal.
Six patients remain hospitalized, with three of them in critical condition, but all are stable, Lane said. Three patients required emergency surgery upon arrival at the hospital Thursday.
Police declined to speculate about a motive behind the shooting, saying it’s too early in the investigation to make that determination.
“We all want to know the why,” Lane said. “But today, less than 24 hours, we’re not ready to tell you that.”
The shooting started at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Thursday at a Kroger in Collierville, which is about 30 miles east of Memphis. Police quickly responded to the scene of the shooting, which Lane called “the most horrific event that’s occurred in Collierville history.”
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Federal and local law enforcement have been assisting in the investigation, with agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives remaining on site. Lane said investigators expect to continue processing the scene through Friday afternoon.
