Shooting in Kroger, Collierville 

The Collierville police says the shooting of 15 people, killing one, and a dead suspected shooter, Uk Thang, on September 23 at Kroger, is a “tragedy unlike anything the Town of Collierville had ever experienced.”  

“Nobody wants to go into that scene, I promise you,” says Chief Dale Lane. He also says, “I have been doing this for 34 years and this is the first time in my career that I have seen firemen wearing ballistic helmets and vest.” 

The 15 victims shot were of 10 Kroger employees and 5 customers. The deceased victim was Olivia King, and the 14 victims are in stable condition. 

8 patients were taken to hospital Regional One Health. King was taken to Regional One Health but died. 3 remain in critical condition and 3 required emergency surgeries. 

There were no explosives in the area, the truck the suspect used and in the backpack that was on the suspect. There was a warrant search on 885 Federal Ridge Road, number 102 where evidence was linked to electronic evidence. 

Evidence of surveillance cameras are still under investigation and will not be released.  

The scene was filled with police officers from Collierville and not from Collierville. Some of the officers dispatched were not on call. 

Thang, 29, was a 3rd party vendor for Kroger. Chief Dale Lane says there are no known motives for the suspect yet. His past criminal charges were only minor charges of misdemeanor. 

Chief Lane says the ordeal was quick, about a couple minutes once they arrived, it was believed Thang had already shot himself. There are currently no additional suspects involved in the shooting. 

The people inside were seen running out of the grocery store bloody. Lane was asked about what the emotional state of the police officers, firefighters and responders had. 

The first call was by a citizen who flagged down one of the police cars on the parking lot by a citizen who said there was a shooting at Kroger and pulled into the lot and he didn’t know where it was. The citizen was in the parking lot of the shooting and cars began to come into the area.  

One eyewitness had recorded some scenes. https://www.facebook.com/jason.lusk.969/posts/910782073155512 

There were 5 helicopters that were sent to the scene from Regional One which only 2 made it. Peter E. Fischer from Regional One says that one weakness is how to fix contact with air traffic. All patients were transported on the ground.  

Collierville Mayor Stan Joyer, Lane and Chief Buddy Billings are all grateful to the dispatchers who had been out to the scene. “I want to give a special thanks to our first responders, our police department, our chief Lane, our fire department services, chief Buddy Billings,” says Joyer. “And just to tell you they made us so proud of the response that they made to this tragic event.”  

Billings says that the training for the police department payed off that they had on June 4. “I cannot tell you how thankful I am to have a man bore that stands behind first responders.”  

He says that they purchased ballistic gears 3 years ago in October. The training and the gears had prepared them for this type of event.  

Lanes says officers like him are taught and makes the decision to engage. “You just have to program yourself to know that if we’re ever put in that spot, you go,” Lane says. “That could be my wife, my kids in that building.” 

The number of victims who were transported and taken into Regional One Health was handled amazingly with no delay. Chief Medical Officer, Martin Croce says, “a lot of people throw around terms like team, but it really happened here.” 

All the patients were brought quickly to Regional One and the resources needed for surgery were in order. Dr. Croce says, “it’s not typical for us to have patients come in with gunshots at any given time, usually not all at once.” 

Lane is also thankful to the employers of Kroger and the customers as they know what to do to protect themselves. Some were removed from freezers, closets, and between pallets of grocery. 

A statement by Olivia King’s family was sent out which read, “Our family is devastated by this senseless act of violence,” it said. “We ask that you pray for the repose of the soul of our mother, Olivia King. We also ask everyone for their prayers for all families and friends affected by the events today, as well as for God’s mercy on the shooter and his family. Thank you.” 

Lanes says, “don’t live in a state of fear, be alert, be vigilant, we’re gonna do everything we can to support the team here at Kroger and with the employers in any way we can of victim of assistance.”