MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Interstate shootings are back under the microscope after yet another life was claimed on the roadways.
The latest shooting happened early Sunday morning on I-240 east of Airways, when someone shot into a car and left two men injured. Ultimately, one of them died from their injuries.
“You’re not safe on the interstate, you’re not safe on the side streets, so where are you safe?” said driver Qorneshia Parker.
This year alone, there have been at least 87 shootings on Memphis highways, surpassing last year’s total of 80 shootings. Darrian Randall was almost added to those statistics after a driver cut him off recently.
“I honked at him and then gun out the window,” Randall said. “It’s crazy. I feel like we all need to be a little bit more compassionate. You don’t need to be jamming your Bluetooth to get home a sixth of a second faster than everyone else. It’s not gonna benefit anybody.”
This summer, Memphis Police launched a traffic enforcement program aiming to cut down on interstate shootings and reckless driving by increasing patrols.
“Our intention is to return a sense of order to the streets Memphis,” said Memphis Police Chief CJ Davis.
Despite efforts made by law enforcement, the highway shootings have continued amid growing calls for changes.
In many of these interstate shootings, police are still searching for the suspects. If you have any information, call Crime Stoppers at (901) 528-CASH.
