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UPDATE: Hibbett released the following statement regarding the incident,

“We can confirm that Saturday night, at closing time there was a shooting incident involving an employee and another individual at the City Gear, located at 4070 Elvis Presley Blvd. in the Whitehaven Plaza Shopping Center in Memphis. The employee has since been terminated. We are working closely with the Memphis Police Department as they investigate this incident and cannot comment further on any details. Safety is always our top priority and we do not condone violence.”

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MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis Police say a man was found shot at a City Gear in Whitehaven Saturday night.

Memphis Police responded to the City Gear on Elvis Presley Boulevard at around 8:45 p.m.

Police say one man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds was taken to Regional One Hospital in critical condition. The suspect fled the scene.

City Gear on Elvis Presley Boulevard. WREG Photo

According to Memphis Police, the suspect is known.

Reports say officers spoke with a witness who said the victim came into the business wanting a refund on the shoes he had purchased earlier. The victim became upset when he was denied a refund.

The witness told police that the victim began making threats toward her, saying, “I will get someone to come up here to beat your [expletive].”

According to police, the suspect tried to calm the victim down, and the victim allegedly told the suspect, “I will kill you. I don’t care about that gun.”

The witness reportedly told officers that the victim walked up to the suspect, who then pulled out a handgun and fired shots at him.

Memphis Police say the suspect was with loss prevention at the store.

City Gear locations throughout the city have recently become the targets of thieves and burglars. In November, Memphis Police said that multiple suspects tried to smash their way into the same Elvis Presley location.

Earlier this month, 13 people broke into the City Gear store on Lamar Avenue and got away in minutes.

Hibbett, which owns City Gear, claims their Memphis-area stores have been burglarized more than 60 times this year.

Hibbett President and CEO Mike Longo recently released a statement on the crimes, saying in part, “The situation in the Memphis community with regard to crime is intolerable. A handful of criminals are causing problems for all the citizens and business owners. This is unacceptable.”

The company says it is taking action to reduce crime at store locations, including implementing “non-lethal” methods such as live camera monitoring and funding CrimeStoppers.

City Gear in Whitehaven Saturday night. WREG photo

Hibbett also says it has asked Tennessee Governor Bill Lee for help, specifically asking for increased Tennessee Highway Patrol presence in Shelby County.

If you have information on this shooting, call CrimeStoppers at (901) 528-CASH.

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