Tennessee Gun Laws Under Spotlight After Hand Surgeon Shot by Patient

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Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property insurance market, local and national politics. She has previously extensively covered U.S. and European politics. Giulia joined Newsweek in 2022 from CGTN Europe and had previously worked at the European Central Bank. She is a graduate in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Politics and International Relations from Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Italy. She speaks English, Italian, and a little French and Spanish. You can get in touch with Giulia by emailing: g.carbonaro@newsweek.com.

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The murder of a Tennessee hand surgeon who was shot dead by a patient on Tuesday has sparked calls from state Democrats for stricter gun control.

Dr. Benjamin Mauck, an orthopedic surgeon at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, was fatally shot by a patient around 2 p.m. local time in an examination room inside the Campbell Clinic in Collierville, around 25 miles southeast of Memphis.

The murder of the surgeon has led to calls from Tennessee Democrats to introduce a so-called red flag gun law, which the state's Republican Gov. Bill Lee is currently trying to bring in. Such a law would temporarily remove guns from people deemed dangerous.

Red flag gun law
Gun rights advocates hold a flag during a rally organized by The Virginia Citizens Defense League on Capitol Square near the state capitol building on January 20, 2020, in Richmond, Virginia. The murder of a... Zach Gibson/Getty Images

The suspect was taken into custody without further incident outside the clinic just five minutes after the shooting, according to Dale Lane, chief of police for the Collierville Police Department, who talked to reporters on Tuesday evening. The suspect, who has not yet been named, had a handgun "in his possession" when he was apprehended by officers.

According to a witness interviewed by local TV news outlet WREG, the patient who shot Mauck had been threatening someone at the clinic for the past week. Lane said he was not aware of threats made against the victim.

"EXACTLY WHY WE NEED A RED FLAG LAW," Tennessee Senate Democrats wrote on Twitter, referencing the witness' comment.

"Republican politicians have repealed too many gun safety laws and turned Tennessee into a murder state," State Sen. London Lamar, chairwoman of the state Senate Democratic Caucus, told Newsweek.

"Every day I am devastated by the number of juveniles who are dying from gun violence. My district has one of the highest homicide rates in the state because of the irresponsible gun legislation from my colleagues," she added.

"The tragedy that took a doctor's life shows exactly why we need stronger gun safety laws. We can prevent future shootings by giving police the tools they need to keep firearms out of the hands of dangerous people."

While many Republicans are opposed to stricter gun legislation, Lee called for Tennessee lawmakers to pass a red flag law in April, after signing an executive order to strengthen background checks for gun purchases. The new measure was brought in after a mass shooting at a private Christian school in Nashville in March, where three 9-year-old kids and three adults were killed.

Despite Lee calling for lawmakers to rise above partisan lines for the sake of protecting people from gun violence, the introduction of a red flag law in the southern state has met with fierce resistance from gun advocates and groups saying that the legislation would be unconstitutional and violate the First Amendment.

Country artist John Rich also weighed in on the debate, calling Lee "another RINO (Republican in Name Only) in sheep's clothing," and accused him of trying to pass legislation that will disarm Tennesseans.

"The Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition has been perhaps the leading voice in our state wholeheartedly opposing red flag, ERPO (extreme risk protection order), or any similar legislation that restricts constitutional rights," the board of directors of the Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition told Newsweek in a written statement. "Not only are such laws unconstitutional, from a practical standpoint, they simply don't work."

The group added that, "Tennesseans don't need nor want red flag laws. In fact, Tennesseans won't stand for it."

Newsweek contacted Gov. Lee for comment by email on Thursday.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the Campbell Clinic where Mauck worked said: "We are shocked and heartbroken to confirm the incident resulted in the tragic loss of one of our highly respected and beloved physicians, Dr. Ben Mauck. During this difficult time, we will be working through many details and will keep you updated as we are able."

The clinic will remain closed on Wednesday and will be reopened at an unspecified later date.

Update 7/13/2023 4:15 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include comments by Sen. Lamar and the board of directors of the Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition.

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About the writer

Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property insurance market, local and national politics. She has previously extensively covered U.S. and European politics. Giulia joined Newsweek in 2022 from CGTN Europe and had previously worked at the European Central Bank. She is a graduate in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Politics and International Relations from Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Italy. She speaks English, Italian, and a little French and Spanish. You can get in touch with Giulia by emailing: g.carbonaro@newsweek.com.

Writers Page

Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property ... Read more