MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Police are searching for suspects following an early morning shooting during what appears to have been an attempted armed robbery in southeast Memphis.
WREG was told the victim was taken to the Regional Medical Center in critical condition around 12:15 a.m. Monday.
Police have since cleared the scene at Ridgeway and Mt. Moriah, but there was a lot of activity there earlier. It all began after officers pulled over a dark colored Nissan Altima after spotting it and another vehicle run a red light at high speed.
During the stop, a backseat passenger got out of the car, told police he had been shot and then collapsed to the ground.
After speaking with both victims, officers said the driver had just arrived in the 4000 block of Silverleaf to drop the 19-year-old shooting victim off when an SUV pulled up beside them. Two masked men approached the driver’s side, but when they couldn’t get in, they opened fire, striking the young man in the leg and groin area.
The driver sped away from the scene with the suspects in pursuit. It wasn’t until the suspects spotted an officer near Ridgeway and Winchester Road that the suspects finally took off.
Both men involved told police they didn’t know who the attackers were, but the 19-year-old did say he had been in an ongoing feud with another man. However, he couldn’t tell if that individual was involved.
A description of the gunmen have not been released.
If you have any information that could help police call Crime Stoppers at (901) 528-CASH.