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At least one person is dead and 13 injured after a mass shooting inside a grocery store of a Memphis suburb on Thursday (September 23).
Most of the victims were severely injured and, as of 5 p.m., their conditions remain unknown. Police Chief Dale Lane called the shooting "the most horrific event that has ever occurred in Collierville history." Lane said the suspected shooter is also dead, possibly from a self-inflicted gunshot.
Brignetta Dickerson has been working at the Kroger in Collierville for nearly 33 years. She was working as a cashier when the shooting began around 2 p.m., WKRN reports, but she didn't immediately understand what was happening.
"We thought it was balloons popping," she said.
As the "popping" continued, they realized it was actually gunshots and started running toward the back of the store. As they ran, she said the suspect came up behind and opened fire, shooting both a customer and one of her coworkers, a man in his 20s.
"He kept on shooting, shooting, shooting," she said of the chaos. "He shot one of my coworkers in the head, and then shot one of the customers in the stomach, and then my other customer got kinda like cuts from the asphalt."
Dickerson tried to help and comfort her young coworker as he kept asking for his mom, "I want my mother, call my mother." She was unable to reach his mother, but left a voicemail to let her know he was alert and talking.
Dickerson said she's "a little bit scared and a little bit skaky" but otherwise OK. She hopes for healing for all the victims, including the young coworker she helped.
Kroger released a statement Thursday afternoon following the shooting, saying they are "deeply saddened" by the incident and working with local law enforcement, CNN reports.
"The entire Kroger family offers our thoughts, prayers and support to the individuals and families of the victims during this difficult time."