MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Reports of a man carrying an assault-style rifle on Midtown sidewalks Monday caused concern among neighbors.

A photo circulating on social media platforms showed the unidentified man holding what appears to be a large firearm while walking on Peabody near Cooper.

The news sent a nearby preschool and elementary school into lockdown. Memphis Police had a heavy presence near Grace-St. Luke’s Episcopal School at Peabody and Belvedere.

The photos sparked panic among parents in Midtown whose children attend nearby schools. 

“My heart is racing just thinking about it because you never know nowadays,” said Jarnesia Spencer. “You have a stranger walking around with a gun, let alone a rifle. So being that my son is so close in proximity, it’s scary.”

Parents at Grace-St. Luke’s Episcopal Church said they got a text just after noon that the school was in lockdown due to a suspicious person. 

“I’m sitting 20 minutes away from my kids just helpless. And you have no idea why this guy is walking down the street with this humongous gun,” said one parent who didn’t want to be identified.

In a notice sent to parents, the school said police advised a lockdown was no longer necessary. 

Police told WREG that no threat was made and no crime was committed because walking around with a rifle is completely legal in Tennessee. 

On Tuesday, MPD provided more information about the incident. Reports state that the man told officers he was walking down the road with the rifle because he was scared and only carried it for protection. He reportedly said “Memphis is a dangerous place.”

“I think at this point, we have done almost everything we can do while the folks who sit in Nashville continue to pass legislation that leads to more dead bodies in our community, leads to number of homicides significantly increasing,” said City Council Vice Chair JB Smiley.

At a Memphis City Council meeting earlier this year, council members voted on a gun reform referendum, which would ban handguns without a valid permit and make assault weapons illegal to purchase in the city. 

It would go against state law, but council members said we face different challenges here. 

“I think part of the reason we are where we are in our state is the vast majority of legislators in our state come from small towns and rural areas,” said Councilman Jeff Warren.

But until then, parents said they’re uneasy that the man is still out there. 

The referendum on gun law changes in the city will be on the ballot during the general election in 2024.