MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Police are looking for suspects following a triple shooting at a popular bowling alley in East Memphis.
Police say three people were shot at Billy Hardwick’s All-Star Lanes at White Station and Quince around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, just 30 minutes before closing time.
Hal Lovett lives nearby and says he heard it all.
“I heard a pop,” he said. “We heard ambulances, we heard police, we heard the police cars screaming, my dog was going nuts. We heard just about everything.”
Police say a fight broke out inside when the suspect walked out to his car, grabbed a rifle, and started shooting towards the building, hitting a woman and two men.
He then went inside and kept shooting, then took off.
“Every night it’s an epidemic, it’s the same thing,” Lovett said.
Lovett says this is the last place he would ever expect something like this to happen.
“You wouldn’t think that a bowling alley would be someplace where people would come in and start shooting people.”
Police are calling it a miracle that more people weren’t hurt or even killed.
Minutes after the shots rang out, people took to social media.
A video posted to Facebook appears to show people gathering around someone on the ground as police investigate.
And one woman Tweeted, “Just heard multiple shots fired by Billy Hardwicks followed by like 8 cop cars. No sleep for me now.”
Another Tweet read, “I just love the sound of gunshots before bedtime.”
It’s a place Lovett tells WREG he hangs out at all the time, but he says the crime in the city has gotten out of control and something needs to change.
“It just seems to be something that we accept and a way of life,” he said.
Now, many are hoping the bowling alley will ramp up security.
Luckily, police say those victims will be okay.
Police are looking for a man around 18 to 20 years old and about 6-feet tall.
He was wearing a dark hoodie and black jeans.
Statement from Billy Hardwick’s All Star Lanes:
“Last evening, just 30 minutes prior to closing, a fight broke out inside our bowling center amongst a group of patrons. It escalated to one man going out into the parking lot and retrieving a gun from his vehicle, and he fired shots from the parking lot through the front door directed at those involved in the altercation. Three people were injured and were all in stable condition. Our thoughts and prayers are with them and we are thankful they are expected to make full recoveries.
We take the safety of our customers and employees very seriously and in the 35 years we have been in business, nothing like this has ever happened. This was strictly an isolated and personal incident.
In addition to our security cameras and armed security guard, who came inside the building when the fight broke out, we will be taking extra precautions to further ensure the safety of our customers and staff. We will be adding additional armed security guards, and will implement a zero-tolerance policy regarding any behavior that could potentially lead to violence.
We would like to thank everyone for their calls and emails of concern. We are doing well and are open for business.”
Call CrimeStoppers at (901) 528-CASH if you have any information.