Topline
Two shootings in Memphis on Sunday that authorities believe are connected left one person dead and another 10 people injured, the Memphis Police Department said, marking the latest U.S. mass shootings.
Key Facts
At 12:43 a.m., officers responded to a shooting at an establishment called the Live Lounge; two victims in critical condition were transported to a local hospital, and another five with non-critical injuries were also transported to receive medical care in the area.
While at the scene of the first shooting, officers received reports of another shooting less than 2 miles down the road; one male victim was pronounced dead at the second scene, and three other victims in critical condition were transferred to a hospital.
A total of 11 victims were either injured or killed in the shootings, which the police department said in a statement are “believed to be connected.”
No arrests have been made, and there “is no solid description of the suspect(s),” police said.
Key Background
The Memphis shootings come on the heels of several others which have garnered national attention. Last week, a gunman on the campus at Michigan State University killed three students. On Friday, six people were killed in a string of shootings in Mississippi.
Big Number
78. That’s how many mass shootings have occurred in 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as an incident with four or more injuries or deaths.
Tangent
The Memphis Police Department has faced national scrutiny for its handling of Tyre Nichols, who died last month after he was pulled over and beaten while being arrested by five policemen. Five officers—Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr., Emmitt Martin III and Justin Smith—were fired and charged with second-degree murder and other charges, which they pleaded not guilty to on Friday. Another officer from the department has been fired, and another has been suspended, in connection to the incident. Three fire department employees have also been fired, and two sheriff’s deputies have been suspended without pay.
Further Reading
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2023/02/19/1-dead-and-10-injured-in-connected-memphis-shootings/