Tennessee Kroger shooting leaves two dead, including shooter, 12 injured

A shooting at a Kroger grocery store Thursday afternoon in Collierville, Tennessee has left one victim dead and twelve others injured. The shooter also died by a "likely" self-inflicted gunshot, according to local authorities, reports Reuters.

The city’s Police Chief Dale Lane held a press conference to inform on all known details. They described how police found various Kroger employees hiding at different places inside the store, but aren't aware of the gunman's motive at this time.

"We found people hiding in freezers and in locked offices," said Lane.

Live reports on local television showed a crowd of Kroger employees and customers standing outside the building after the shooting.

"I’m a little shaky but I’m okay," said Kroger employee Brignetta Dickerson. "I got God on my side."

Reporting collated by local Memphis anchor Joyce Peterson established additional details.

"Authorities searched all the cars in the Collierville Kroger parking lot and found the suspect dead in his vehicle from a self-inflicted gunshot wound," she tweeted with pictures of authorities on the scene.

USA TODAY interviewed an employee who was working in the store’s floral section when the shooting started. "I just ran out the door," she said. "I left my purse, my keys, everything."

A Kroger cashier who saw the situation unfold gave an interview to the WMC Action News Five local station.

The employee added: "So I get back there and close the door, and I heard him come through the back. I was like, ‘oh crap, oh crap.’ And I heard the gunshots again — he came in there where I was, where all the other people were."

"He shot one in the head (he shot one of my co-workers in the head), and then he shot a customer in the stomach … and my other co-worker … just got a little cut above his eye because of the asphalt."

Lane said some of the surviving victims sustained "very serious" injuries. All were taken to area hospitals, he said. WREG-TV said at least five were listed in critical condition.

He also responded to inquiries about reported sightings of someone on the roof of the Kroger store. He said it was likely a store employee but couldn’t officially confirm that on the spot.

Kroger, a major US grocery chain, issued a statement offering "our thoughts, prayers and support to the individuals and families of the victims during this difficult time."