WREG.com

13 people shot during violent holiday weekend in Memphis

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — WREG received harsh words and a vulgar gesture from a man whose home on Norfolk Street is at the center of a shooting investigation.

“At first it seemed like they were having a party,” Burdest Jean Davis said.

However, Davis said the party on Sunday morning quickly got out of control and police were called.

“A whole lot of people got just shouting at one another and they was cussing,” Davis described. “They were saying all kind of bad words.”

Police said a fight broke out, a woman’s head was bashed in, a gun was fired, and three people were shot.

“It frightens you — makes you scared,” Davis told WREG.

The shooting on Norfolk was one of nine violent incidents, WREG is aware of, from across the city during Father’s Day weekend.

On Saturday, Ravyn Towns was one of two people shot in a drive-by shooting outside of a club on American Way.

“I really can’t believe that my little girl laying in that bed with gunshot wounds,” Jacqueline Towns said exclusively to WREG.

In the same morning, officers said two men were shot on Ladue.

Hours later, another shooting rang out on Knob where police report a man was gunned down near the Frayser Community Center.

Also, a bicyclist was shot down in the middle of Carnes Avenue late Saturday night.

“He was like Help. Oh my God. I’ve been shot. Help. And he was in a puddle of blood,” an unidentified woman said.

The woman, who asked to not be identified, got out of her car Sunday morning to help a man who, officers said, was shot in the face on Winchester.

Another man was shot at Foote Holmes, a guy was stabbed in the stomach on South Highland, and two more men were shot outside of the Mansion Nightclub on Mt. Moriah.

“One is too many but certainly when we have a string of them within a short span of time, it’s something that concerns us,” Memphis Police Director Toney Armstrong said.

Armstrong said the recent violence is causing for concern as Mayor A C Wharton told WREG his administration is working to get more officers on the streets.

“We are obviously concerned,” Mayor Wharton said. “That’s why we got $5-million in the budget which will hopefully be approved Tuesday to get us back up — begin the process of getting us up to around 2,500.”

Many of the people responsible for the violent crimes are still on the streets.

If you know anything, call police or Crime Stoppers at 901-528-CASH.

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