8 injured in shooting in Downtown Memphis; officer assaulted
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Eight people were taken to the hospital after a shooting Sunday morning in the heart of Downtown Memphis, according to police.
Officers responded to the shooting just after 2:30 a.m. Sunday at S. B.B. King Boulevard and Peabody Place.
“It was crazy,” said an eyewitness who works at a nearby bar on Beale Street. “8 to 10 people were trying to jump over our fence and get into our door.”
Another witness said he heard the shots ring out and “can’t fathom the thought of more violence here.”
“I’m not surprised,” said Ereale Scott, who was on Beale Street Sunday afternoon.
Scott spends her time working and living between Memphis and Dallas, and says the last time she was in the Bluff City was when accused gunman Ezekiel Kelly went on a shooting rampage that killed three people and put the city on lockdown.
Lofton Jr William shared video of the shooting with Action News 5:
The eight victims were taken to several different hospitals, all in non-critical condition. Their ages are:
- 14-year-old man
- 54-year-old man
- 20-year-old man
- 31-year-old man
- 37-year-old woman
- 19-year-old woman
- 28-year-old man
- 31-year-old man
State Senate Minority Leader Raumesh Akbari says these instances are just a few of the reasons the state needs to take a serious look at gun laws in the special session on safety that was called by Governor Lee.
“It’s a Democrat and Republican issue,” Akbari said. “Whether you live in Memphis or Mountain View.”
Akbari went on to cite the need for stricter background checks for people who wish to purchase a firearm, as well as training for those who wish to use them.
Scott, who told Action News 5 she’s had a permit to carry before the permitless carry went into effect in 2021, says the issue isn’t cut and dry.
“You have people like me who carry to protect themselves,” said Scott. “But open-carry has everyone wanting a gun and then they start shooting everyone. It’s complicated.”
The special session is set to start in Nashville on August 21.
In an update released by the Memphis Police Department, they shared that while MPD officers were working to disperse the crowd, an officer was assaulted by an individual and sustained minor injuries.
State Rep. John Gillespire shared this comment:
Police say there is no suspect information at this time.
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