MEMPHIS, Tenn. – For the second time in less than a month, police are investigating an apparent shooting near Beale Street.
Gunshots rang out around 1 a.m. Thursday, witnesses say. Officers set up crime tape in the middle of Beale Street near Second.
A woman who does not want to be identified says her 19-year-old cousin was sent to the hospital in critical condition. She says everything started when a group of men started following her and her friends.
“He was like, he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable or something, because my cousin was like, could you get out the person’s face,” she said. “And he started apologizing. He was like ‘I’m sorry.'”
She says she thought everything was settled. However, she says things took a turn as they were leaving a bar.
“Once I got ready to go out the door, the men were blocking the door. It was like four of them,” she said.
She says they bypassed the group of men, but the men continued following them while making comments. The witness says that’s when things turned physical between her cousin and the group of men.
“I turn around and see people swinging, and I just hear shots,” she said, “and once I heard the first shot, I ran.”
She says her cousin was shot several times.
Police say the gunmen got away, but two people were detained on the scene and received misdemeanor citations for unlawful possession of a weapon. MPD released photos of the suspect Thursday afternoon.
After a deadly shootout just a few weeks ago, the Downtown Memphis Commission announced some new security measures. But they only applied to weekend crowds.
It’s not clear if the overnight crowd had to pass through any metal detectors to get to the bars and clubs.
Back on April 10, one man was killed and two others critically wounded when gunfire erupted on Beale.
Police opened fire in the middle of all the chaos, leading some to question whether the TBI should be handling the investigation.
In the aftermath, security started wanding crowds with hand-held metal detectors on weekends and making visitors pay a $5 security fee.
Police have not released any suspect information. If you know anything, you are encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers at (901) 528-CASH.