A shooting that unfolded at Orange Mound Park in Memphis Saturday evening has left two dead and six others wounded, according to the Memphis Police Department (MPD).
The shooting took place as approximately 200-300 people gathered for a block party at the park, which MPD noted was held without a permit.
BULLETIN: There's a mass shooting in Orange Mound. It's bad. There are multiple injuries. More details to come on KWAM – where Memphis goes for breaking news. This is video purportedly from the scene. Follow @benpdeeter and @Mighty990KWAM pic.twitter.com/XBQ2Q8XyFa
— KWAM News Radio 990 AM Memphis (@Mighty990KWAM) April 21, 2024
Video of the event was posted on social media from several party-goers.
16 shot, 2 killed at Orange Mound Park pic.twitter.com/YpHhxjXFkz
— Ceddy Nash (@realceddynash) April 21, 2024
Hours after the shooting, MPD inaccurately reported that 16 individuals were victims of the shooting, however, has since confirmed that there were only 8 individuals in total who were struck by gunfire.
“During the follow-up investigation, we learned that there were only (8) total victims, with two of those being deceased on the scene. Only one of the six remains in critical condition at Regional One. One victim has since been released,” MPD said.
“We believe the error occurred with several victims being reported multiple times,” MPD added.
***INVESTIGATION UPDATE*** pic.twitter.com/cYMUB4mPpX
— Memphis Police Dept (@MEM_PoliceDept) April 21, 2024
All of the victims who were transported to Regional One for gunshot wounds have since been updated to stable condition, MPD said on Sunday. Two male victims were pronounced dead at the scene.
Memphis Mayor Paul Young released a statement Sunday morning regarding the previous night’s shooting, calling the incident “an act of senseless violence.”
Prayers for our City. pic.twitter.com/HvEnGSgHzC
— Paul Young (@mayorpaulyoung) April 21, 2024
“This morning, we are one community united by grief. We are all Orange Mound this morning,” Young said. “There are no words that can adequately express the pain we are all feeling over this most recent act of senseless violence – where guns were brazenly brought to a park filled with young people, families, and children. And there are no words to describe the frustration of having to use the qualifier “most recent” when speaking of the violence in our community.”
“This must stop. The violence must end. For the future of our city, we have to solve the problem together,” the mayor added.
– – –
Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Image “Memphis Driver at Block Party” by Ceddy Nash.
To all of the democrats/liberals that continue to work to restrict law abiding American’s right to own firearms; this continuing urban gun violence is not being caused by law abiding Americans! Until you put an end to these urban shootings, you do not stand a chance of convincing anyone with common sense that American needs more laws that restrict the rights of law abiding Americans to possess firearms.