Man shot during Lil Baby concert in Memphis: What to know

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MEMPHIS — A man was in critical condition after being shot during a concert headlined by rapper Lil Baby Thursday night in Tennessee, police said.

The shooting took place at FedExForum in Memphis, the Memphis Police Department posted on social media just before 11:15 p.m.

The arena is located downtown along the southern city's popular Beale Street, an entertainment district historically known for blues music that runs east along the Mississippi River.

On Friday evening a motive in the shooting was not immediately known.

Here's what we know so far:

When did the shooting take place?

Officers responded at 10:23 p.m. to a report of a shooting and located a male shooting victim inside the arena.

First responders transported the victim to a hospital. The victim's status was upgraded to non-critical, according to a press release Friday morning, and no other injuries had been reported by police.

Who was on stage during the shooting?

Lil Baby was on stage during the shooting. The 28-year-old Grammy-nominated rapper was rushed off during the middle of his song "Frozen" about 10:20 p.m.

FedExForum security rushed into the pit and appeared to be treating someone on the other side of the stage.

“I heard a pop,” concert attendee Clarissa Johnson told local TV station WREG. “I’m not sure what happened but I had a suite, so I told all my crew, ‘get down.’ So we evacuated... I’m still not sure what happened.”

About 10:25 p.m., people were instructed to evacuate the arena.

USA TODAY has reached out to Lil Baby's rep for comment.

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FedExForum is evacuated after an incident during the Lil Baby concert on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023, in Memphis.
FedExForum is evacuated after an incident during the Lil Baby concert on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023, in Memphis.

Will refunds be given to concert goers?

Lil Baby has not addressed the not specifically address the shooting or the victim but did assure attendees they will receive their full refund.

"Due to the unforeseen circumstances that took place in Mephis last night, I was not able to give my fans a full performance. As a result, a full refund will be issues to all those in attendance," the rapper wrote on an Instagram story Friday evening.

Ticketmaster will directly provide further information on how to people can receive their full refund, the rapper added.

Has anyone been arrested yet?

The identity of the shooter was unknown, Memphis police Public Information Officer Sgt. Louis Brownlee told the Commercial Appeal, part of the USA TODAY Network.

Brownlee also said it was not immediately known if the shooter and victim knew each other, how many times the victim was shot and how many shots were fired.

Concert attendees flee the FedExForum in Memphis on September 7, 2023 following a shooting during the Lil Baby concert. One person was shot and was taken to a hospital in critical condition, Memphis police reported.
Concert attendees flee the FedExForum in Memphis on September 7, 2023 following a shooting during the Lil Baby concert. One person was shot and was taken to a hospital in critical condition, Memphis police reported.
Memphis Police Department responded to a shooting during a Lil Baby concert on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023, at FedExForum in Downtown Memphis. One man was critically injured.
Memphis Police Department responded to a shooting during a Lil Baby concert on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023, at FedExForum in Downtown Memphis. One man was critically injured.

Police said they are investigating how the weapon used in the shooting got inside FedExForum. Those attending concerts at the venue go through a metal detector before being allowed entry.

FedExForum issued the following statement: "A person was shot tonight at FedExForum during the Lil Baby concert. The incident is under investigation and we are fully cooperating with the Memphis Police Department."

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Who is Lil Baby?

The Atlanta-based rapper is best know for the songs "Yes Indeed," "Drip Too Hard" and "California Breeze. He is also known for his 2018 mixtape "Street Gossip" featuring Meek Mill, 2 Chainz, Gucci Mane and Offset.

Last year he became the subject of a music documentary "Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby".

Before becoming famous, Lil Baby, born Dominique Jones, served a two-year prison sentence on drug and weapons charges. After he was released in 2016, fellow rapper Young Thug encouraged Lil Baby to dive into music.

Since then, the rapper has climbed the Billboard charts, and also been featured in songs with Drake and Kanye West, often using the stage to address police brutality across the nation.

This story is developing.

Contributing: Elise Brisco, USA TODAY

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior correspondent for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @nataliealund. Jordan Green covers trending business news for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached via email Jordan.Green@commercialappeal.com or on X @_green_jordan_

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Lil Baby concert shooting in Memphis: Man in critical condition