A violent double shooting in South Memphis left one man dead and his girlfriend critically injured early Wednesday morning, prompting a large police response and an ongoing search for answers as one person was detained.
Memphis Police responded to the scene on Alice Avenue, a few blocks from Mississippi Boulevard, just before 3 a.m. after a woman who had been shot began screaming for help. Officers discovered she was not the only victim.
According to Major Christopher Price of the Memphis Police Department, the woman was critically injured, while a man — identified by police as her boyfriend — was found deceased at the scene from gunshot wounds. The woman was the sole survivor.
“This became an investigation into a deadly double shooting that sent shockwaves through the South Memphis community,” the report noted.
Neighbors expressed surprise and sadness over the violence in the area. A lifelong South Memphis resident, said he was getting up to start his day when he encountered the chaos outside his home.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” he told reporters, describing his shock at seeing crime scene tape in his neighborhood of more than 50 years. He voiced concern about the level of violence affecting the community.
Police quickly established a perimeter and launched a search for the gunman. At the time, Major Price stated, “We have no one in custody. We don’t know what the situation is totally.”
Detectives worked to process the scene and determine what prompted the attack, one of the city’s latest violent incidents.
Later updates indicated that one man was detained in connection with the shooting. However, police have not said whether charges are being filed against him.
Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact Memphis Police or CrimeStoppers.
The investigation remains active.