MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Inside of a small bar on Poplar Avenue, an owner tried his best to stay strong.
Steve Murphy, who is co-owner of The Pumping Station, said, “My first reaction was ‘oh, those poor people.’ You know?”
The reactions came after a deadly attack at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, that left at least 50 people dead.
“I couldn’t imagine someone walking into a bar and just opening fire on people like that,” Murphy said.
As a business owner, Murphy worries about his customers’ safety.
Will Batts with the Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center said he is talking with organizations in the area and reviewing security measures.
“We’ve been talking today about what are the things we can do to to work together to make those things safer for people because they will go on, they will happen. We intend for them to be safe,” Batts said.
“Maybe we need to think about hiring an external security guard,” Murphy considered. “Should there be panic buttons in places in the bar for the employees? Should we do what?”
Questions that were left unanswered on Sunday night for a bar owner who has never closed his doors despite the circumstances.
“We’ll be open today. We’ll be open everyday. We’re not going anywhere. We’re not going anywhere. We’re not going to hide,” Murphy said.
Owners of other bars and clubs in Memphis, like Club Spectrum, are not considering amping up security.