Couple says officers warn don’t come downtown without a gun after latest shooting
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Some downtown residents and visitors say they are concerned about the state of Memphis after a woman was shot while walking her dogs along the Riverfront Friday afternoon.
It happened at Wagner Place and Union Avenue, near Riverside Drive, after the victim walked into the middle of a domestic dispute. The woman was transported to the hospital in critical condition.
It’s the fifth shooting in the heart of downtown in less than a month. In fact, last week, a 15-year-old was shot in the same spot during the early morning hours. Investigators found a rifle nearby on the train tracks.
Teen hurt in early-morning Downtown shooting
Stephanie Brown was walking her dog Friday when she saw the police tape and said she could have easily been the one who was shot.
“It felt familiar because it just happened here a couple of weeks ago,” said Brown. “I’m sure I know the person because we all speak. Our dogs play together.”
Brown said she recently moved from Harbor Town on Mud Island to the Riverfront and now wonders if it was a big mistake.
“This terrifies me. It makes me feel like I need to be protected even when I walk my dog now here in the city. This is very sad. It’s become normal,” Brown said. “Time to get a gun.”
Shots fired inside FedExForum during Lil Baby concert in Memphis
Thursday night, a man was shot inside the FedExForum during a Lil Baby concert, forcing the venue to be evacuated.
On August 27, a woman was killed and two others wounded during a shooting in the 300 block of South Main Street. Police said both shootings were targeted attacks.
One dead, two injured in Downtown Memphis shooting
In mid-August, eight people were shot when someone opened fire at South B.B. King and Peabody Place. Investigators recovered dozens of rounds.
Eight injured in mass shooting in Downtown Memphis
A couple who came downtown to get something to eat said they were making a U-turn on Wagner when they saw a husband and wife arguing, and the husband fired several shots, hitting the victim.
One of the witnesses, who did not want to be identified, said the victim was relatively calm and seemed more concerned about her two small dogs.
“We just assured her dogs were going to be fine,” she said. “The wife was applying pressure and saying ‘I’m so sorry this happened to you. He was trying to shoot me.’ It was insane,” she said.
The witnesses said they were just talking about how great the downtown area looked before the shooting and hate to see this happening in their city.
“It’s very scary, and then you’ve got police officers telling you don’t come down here without a gun. I just won’t come anymore because if you have to go somewhere with a gun, why do you go?” the witness said.
Another man, who did not want to be identified, brought his wife and three small children downtown to enjoy the new playgrounds in Tom Lee Park. He said he heard a gunshot while they were walking back to their car, and when they got to the parking lot on Wagner Place, he saw the shooting victim next to his vehicle.
“It’s actually normal down here. It’s crazy in broad daylight,” he said.
The Memphis Police Department has beefed up patrols, launched a new traffic safety plan downtown, and is getting some help from Shelby County deputies. Some downtown residents aren’t convinced it’s enough to stop the violence.
“This a moral issue, said Brown. “These people don’t care about anyone.”
Police are still looking for the man responsible for the most recent shooting and are still investigating the other shootings downtown.
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