COLLIERVILLE, Tenn. — Kroger is opening an associate resource center for those affected by the mass shooting at the Collierville location last month.
More than a dozen people were injured and a woman named Olivia King was killed, before the gunman, a contracted worker, turned the gun on himself.
“September 23 is a day that I don’t think anybody will forget in Collierville. And because of that day it has made Collierville a stronger community,” said Collierville Vice Mayor Maureen Fraser.
Kroger and Collierville leaders came together to announce the opening of the Collierville Associate Resource Center Friday.
“We believe this is a much needed step in the healing process,” said Kroger spokesperson Teresa Dickerson.
Inside there are several rooms where people can sit and talk about how they’re doing. The spot is set to provide mental health services, trauma counseling and victim advocacy services.
The center will support associates, first responders, survivors and the community impacted by the grocery store tragedy with the calming presence of a support dog named Job.
We talked to Sandy Bromley with the Shelby County Crime Victims and Rape Crisis Center about what those visiting the center might be going through.
“No one thinks that going to a grocery store to pick up lunch, something like this could happen,” Bromley said. “We’re just trying to help them figure out how they can put their life back together. How can they move towards healing. That includes going back into a grocery store again, any grocery store. Going back into really any store. Going back out in public again can be really difficult again at first.”
Police Chief Dale Lane says different groups uniting has started the healing.
“It’s been amazing for me to see this community and when I say community, I’m not just talking about Collierville,” Lane said. “I’m talking about the region-wide, the resources that people have brought to the table to help and that’s what we need to hang on to today is hope.”
A date for when this store will reopen again has not been set.
