MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Dozens of gunshots rang out in an Orange Mound neighborhood, and families were forced to take cover in the crossfire recently.
Now, new technology called ShotSpotter is helping change the way police find suspects in these acts of wanton violence.
Two homes were hit in the crossfire on July 1, but no one was hurt. Residents say they heard around a dozen shots.
Memphis Police used a new service called ShotSpotter, which enables police to determine gunshot locations by sound and to pinpoint the location where the shots originated.
Combining this data with information from 911 calls, police can more accurately respond to gun violence.
Police managed to track the shots down and arrest Montrez Tate for the shooting. Police responded after receiving three notifications in the same area, and arrested Tate.
Tate faces several counts of aggravated assault. Shelby County Jail information says he posted $50,000 bond Wednesday.
MPD did not have specifics on how many arrests were made by this technology, but they did tell us that they’ve received 53 notifications of shots fired within a three-mile area.
The ShotSpotter program, paid for the next three years, is possible because of a grant from the federal government.
