$5M bond for man charged in Downtown Memphis shooting
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A suspect has been charged for the attempted murder of a man on South Main Street in Downtown Memphis last year.
Robert Sims, 20, was taken into custody Wednesday for his alleged involvement in the shooting of a man on South Main Street on November 4. He is being held on a total $5,075,000 bond.
Police say they traced a spent shell casing found on the street to a gun found inside an Infiniti that Sims was in.
According to reports, officers responded to the scene around 11 p.m. that night. Witnesses told police they heard several gunshots being fired outside their homes and businesses.
They reportedly advised police that they heard the victim yelling for help and asking for someone to call an ambulance. They say two men armed with handguns could be seen nearby.
Man shot in chest on South Main in Downtown Memphis
A witness stated that one of the suspects yelled out “He’s down,” and the other replied “We need to make sure.” After the incident, a witness told police that a black, two-door Infiniti drove past the victim and fired additional shots, hitting him several times.
The victim was transported to Regional One Hospital in critical condition.
Cars and businesses nearby also received damage due to gunfire. A vehicle near the scene of the incident was struck in the back window and tire, causing around $1,500 in damage.
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On November 17, police used the Memphis Crime Gun Intelligence Center and NIBIN to analyze a shell casing found on the scene of the shooting.
WREG Investigators first reported on NIBIN back in 2021, and traveled to Birmingham at the invitation of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to get an exclusive up-close look at how it works.
Shell casings are put in a machine that picks up unique markings. The information is then entered into a nationwide database that can be used for matching.
For Memphis Police, that match came when they found a .45 handgun in a black, four-door Infiniti, occupied by Robert Sims. The gun was matched with the spent shell casings from the Main Street shooting.
According to an affidavit, on December 13, the victim in the shooting identified Sims in a six-person photo line-up as one of the people who shot him.
Sims is charged with criminal attempt felony first-degree murder, possessing/employment of a firearm during commission/attempt to commit dangerous felony, and vandalism $1,000 to $2,500.
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