Memphis, Tennessee – A block party in Memphis turned into a tragedy late Saturday night with two individuals losing their lives and at least six others sustaining injuries in a shooting incident. Police Chief C.J. Davis mentioned that the shooting took place while around 300 people were gathered at the party, where multiple shooters were believed to be involved.
Law enforcement responded to the scene at 7:19 p.m. CT to discover five victims with gunshot wounds. Out of the five, three were rushed to local hospitals, while two male victims succumbed to their injuries on-site. Additionally, several other gunshot victims arrived at medical facilities in private vehicles, with one individual listed in critical condition as of early Sunday.
Initially, the Memphis Police Department reported a total of 16 gunshot victims, but upon further investigation, it was confirmed that there were eight victims in total, including the two fatalities. The department stated that the error in reporting occurred as multiple victims were accounted for more than once.
The investigation into the shooting is still ongoing, with the police receiving video footage from the scene and actively searching for the individuals responsible for the violence. Chief Davis expressed the department’s commitment to identifying the culprits, urging anyone with information or footage related to the incident to come forward and assist law enforcement.
This tragic incident adds to the alarming tally of mass shootings in the United States, with over 115 such events recorded thus far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. The archive defines a mass shooting as an incident where at least four individuals, excluding the shooter, sustain gunshot wounds.
As authorities continue their efforts to unravel the circumstances surrounding the shooting, the community mourns the loss of lives and hopes for swift justice for the victims and their families. This developing story will be updated as more information becomes available.