MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Two people were shot at Cru Lounge and taken to the hospital Tuesday night.
According to Memphis police, officers rushed to the club on Madison Avenue after they heard shots being fired while on another call around 11 p.m.
Upon arrival, they found two people had been shot, and the gunman was on the run. One of the victims is a security guard, and the other is a customer.
The security guard told officers that he asked the suspect to leave for being “visibly intoxicated,” but the suspect tried to return. Another guard then picked the man up and carried him several feet away from the building, reports say.
Police say security video shows the suspect attempting to hit the security guard in the head. Afterward, both security guards started hitting the man until he fell to the ground.
The suspect left and came back minutes later with an assault rifle, opening fire. The security guards say they shot back eight to nine times.
One security guard was shot in the shoulder, and a customer was shot in the stomach. Both were taken to the hospital and are expected to be okay, according to reports.
Police say the suspect drove off in a red Honda Accord. He is in his late 20s or early 30s and was last seen wearing a blue hat, white hoodie, and denim jacket.
Cru Lounge released the following statement regarding the incident:
In almost 20 years in business, CRU, which is currently the largest franchise of its kind in the country, we have never experienced such a devastating event as occurred last night in Memphis. Despite conflicting reports, a patron of our establishment was intending to be violent/making threats towards another group of customers, in which he was then separated from and minutes later, he tried to re-enter our building.
After he was denied access by security, he went to his car and, from approximately 75 to 100 yards away, began shooting at the venue and security for being simply denied access.
Our thoughts and prayers are with those injured by this senseless violence last night.
Transparency is critical to our credibility with the public and our customers.
Thank you to Memphis police which arrived on the scene minutes later after gunfire.
If anyone has information that can lead to an arrest, we are offering a significant cash reward. Please call Memphis Police.