US: Shooting at Tennessee supermarket leaves at least 1 dead

A shooting at a Kroger supermarket in the US state of Tennessee on Thursday left at least one person dead and 12 people injured, according to local authorities.

The shooting occurred in the town of Collierville near the major city of Memphis.

A Kroger worker told WREG-TV she was working a cash register when she thought she heard balloons popping. Brignetta Dickerson said: "And, here he comes right behind us and started shooting." 

"And, he kept on shooting, shooting, shooting. He shot one of my co-workers in the head and shot one of my customers in the stomach," Dickerson said.

Several people hospitalized

Collierville spokesperson Jennifer Casey told the Memphis-based The Commercial Appeal newspaper that several people were taken to the hospital. 

Of the 12 people that were wounded, one was in surgery and another in intensive care. A 13th person was treated for an anxiety attack.

"We found people hiding in freezers and in locked offices. They were doing what they had been trained to do - run, hide, fight," Police Chief Dale Lane told reporters, calling the attack "the most horrific event that has occurred in Collierville history."

There were 44 employees and an undetermined number of customers at the store when the shooting broke out, he added.

Suspect reportedly dead

The suspect behind the shooting is reportedly dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities withheld information about the shooter as they attempted to determine if another person may have assisted him in the attack.

Earlier this year, Tennessee became the latest US state to allow most adults aged 21 or over to carry handguns without an initial state-level background check and training.

Signed into law by Republican Governor Bill Lee, the measure was passed despite objections from some law enforcement groups as well as gun control advocates who expressed concerns over increased gun violence.

wd/aw (AP. Reuters, AFP)