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Memphis, Tenn. — An employee at a Memphis auto shop was shot Sunday morning during a robbery.
Memphis police say the robbery happened at O’Reilly Auto Parts in the 3300 block of Summer Avenue in Grahamwood. Investigators determined two suspects entered the store armed with a semi-automatic handgun around 7:10 a.m. and demanded money from an employee.
During the robbery, one of the suspects shot the employee and took an unknown amount of cash.
They fled on foot heading south on North Holmes at Broad Avenue.
“The assistant manager called me and he said, ‘Man. There was a gunshot.’ I said, ‘What happened?’ He said, ‘I just been robbed and the guys took off,” General Manager David Tullis said.
The criminals shot the man in the chest. But before the two could get away, that employee managed to pull a hat off of one of the suspects, revealing his face.
According to police, the victim is in non-critical condition. The manager said the victim was “alert” when he was taken to the hospital.
Police say one suspect was wearing a dark-colored windbreaker, blue jeans and black shoes. He is armed with a handgun. Police say the other suspect was wearing a white tank top and blue jeans.
A SkyCop camera sits right next to the store.
We spoke with several customers who preferred not to show their faces. They said they believe criminals are just starting not to care who is watching.
They also believe those crimes may continue as we inch closer to the holiday. And they might be right.
According to a crime report, in the last month a total of 80 incidents have occurred within a half-mile of the store. With a number that high, Tullis says he’s had enough.
“Guys, you’re going to meet your maker one day. And you’re going to have to answer for your actions.”
If you have any information regarding this shooting, please call Crime Stoppers at 901-528-CASH.
