Memphis-area Kroger mass shooting that left 1 victim dead, 12 wounded, is becoming more common
A gunman killed one person and wounded at least 12 more at a grocery store in Collierville, Tennessee, on Thursday afternoon, before apparently killing himself, police said. The injuries inflicted on some of the victims are "very serious," officials said. When a tactical team arrived shorting after the shooting began, "we found people hiding in freezers and in locked offices," said Collierville Police Chief Dale Lane. "They were doing what they have been trained to do: run, hide, fight." He called the shooting "the most horrific event" in history of Collierville, a suburb of Memphis.
Law enforcement agencies did not identify the shooter or the kind of weapon he used, and they have not publicly speculated on a motive, though some reports suggest he may have been a disgruntled employee.
There have been more than 500 mass shootings in the U.S. so far this year, leaving more than 500 Americans dead, CBS News reports, and this is at least the second mass shooting at a supermarket, following the one in Boulder, Colorado, in March that left 10 victims dead. That store, King Soopers, is also owned by Kroger, The Washington Post notes.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"From 2000 to 2017, there was a yearly average of 0.9 shootings on the premises of retailers selling groceries," the Post reports. "In 2018, there were two. Last year, there were six." And it isn't just grocery stores. According to an FBI report in 2020, more than half the 40 active shootings that took place last year were in "commerce-related spaces."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
'Republicans want to silence Israel's opponents'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Poland, Germany nab alleged anti-Ukraine spies
Speed Read A man was arrested over a supposed Russian plot to kill Ukrainian President Zelenskyy
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - April 19, 2024
Cartoons Friday's cartoons - priority delivery, USPS on fire, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Empty-nest boomers aren't selling their big homes
Speed Read Most Americans 60 and older do not intend to move, according to a recent survey
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Brazil accuses Musk of 'disinformation campaign'
Speed Read A Brazilian Supreme Court judge has opened an inquiry into Elon Musk and X
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Disney board fends off Peltz infiltration bid
Speed Read Disney CEO Bob Iger has defeated activist investor Nelson Peltz in a contentious proxy battle
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Disney and DeSantis reach detente
Speed Read The Florida governor and Disney settle a yearslong litigation over control of the tourism district
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Visa and Mastercard agree to lower swipe fees
Speed Read The companies will cap the fees they charge businesses when customers use their credit cards
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Reddit IPO values social media site at $6.4 billion
Speed Read The company makes its public debut on the New York Stock Exchange
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Housing costs: the root of US economic malaise?
speed read Many voters are troubled by the housing affordability crisis
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Feds cap credit card late fees at $8
speed read The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalized a rule to save households an estimated $10 billion a year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published