MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A 16-year-old Memphis student has been charged with attempted murder in a school shooting that left a classmate in critical condition.
Memphis Police said the targeted shooting happened in a parking lot behind Central High School about 30 minutes after classes were dismissed Thursday afternoon, News 5 reports. Police responded to the incident at 2:44 p.m. and found the victim lying on the ground with gunshot wounds to his thigh and lower abdomen. Officers applied a tourniquet to the teen’s leg and rushed him to Regional One Hospital in critical condition.
The suspect reportedly fled the scene. After a brief chase, officers Tased the teen near Bellevue Middle School and took him into custody.
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The suspect told police that the victim threatened to kill him during their fifth-period class. He then went home after school was dismissed, took his grandmother’s handgun, and returned to the school to shoot his classmate before he could kill him, he said.
The suspect has been charged with employment of a firearm during the commission of a felony, carrying weapons on school property, evading arrest on foot, unlawful possession of a weapon, and reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon. His identity will not be released unless he is charged as a minor.
Memphis Community Members Share School Violence Concerns
Memphis-Shelby County School Board Member Towanna Murphy released a statement on Monday calling for gun control legislation.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic school shooting that occurred earlier today. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the victims,” she wrote. “We strongly advocate for comprehensive legislation to address gun control and ensure the safety of our students.”
Casio Montez, a local community activist, told WREG that he is worried about students in the school district, noting that prior to the shooting, he heard there had been several fights.
“A lot of this stirs from social media,” he said. “A lot of this stirs from what happens in the community.”
Montez also urged the district to put measures in place to stop or minimize the violence that could come in response to the shooting.
“We live in a time now where we don’t know how to let things go,” Montez said. “People say, ‘Hey, that’s so and so. We want our lick back.’ And another child get hurt.”
