MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis and Shelby County law enforcement officers were busy after two people were killed and another injured in separate incidents Monday night.
Just before midnight, Memphis Police responded to a deadly discovery at Delano Avenue and Steele Street, just off North Watkins in Frayser. A man was found shot to death inside a red pickup truck, but it’s still a mystery because detectives don’t know where the shooting happened or what prompted the deadly attack.
Hours earlier, Shelby County deputies responded after a body was found by a construction crew along Egypt Central Road in Raleigh. In this case as well, investigators are piecing things together to determine who the victim is and if foul play is to blame.
Back within city limits, MPD set up a barricade along Barton Drive in Whitehaven. A woman there was rushed to the hospital after she was shot.
The violence is cause for concern as the numbers continue to trend upward.
On Tuesday, the Memphis Police Department confirmed to WREG they have handled 63 murders so far this year, compared to 46 murders this time in 2020. Four of those victims were under the age of 18, police said.
The Memphis Public Safety website has the latest murders listed on a map to get a better understanding of where they are occuring.
In 2020, Memphis recorded 332 homicides, a 24 percent increase compared to 2019. Approximately 262 of those were committed with a gun, according to the latest statistics from the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission.
There were also more than 6,400 violent incidents that were reported in Memphis in 2020, another 25 percent increase from 2019. Of those, 66 percent involved gun crimes.
