A 76-year-old man faces aggravated assault charges following a shooting incident at an East Memphis restaurant, which police say sprang from a physical altercation. The incident occurred Monday evening outside Venice Kitchen, leading to both the suspect and victim requiring hospital treatment.

Memphis Police were summoned to the scene at approximately 7:17 p.m., after reports of gunfire erupted. On arrival, officers found one person struck by the bullets and quickly transported him to St. Francis Hospital, where his condition was listed as non-critical. Amidst the chaos in the rear parking lot, the elder alleged shooter, James McCort, was apprehended and has since been taken into custody. This was reported by Action News 5 and WREG News Channel 3.

Witness accounts given to WREG News Channel 3 reveal that an aggressive encounter preceding the shooting saw McCort and another man embroiled in a physical fight. While leaving the establishment, bystanders noticed the altercation, which persisted even after attempts were made to separate the combatants. According to one witness, McCort was on the ground, suffering hits and kicks to the face, before the situation escalated into gunfire.

In a twist to the violent narrative, a woman connected to the victim came forward to shed light on what seemed to ignite the confrontation. Speaking with FOX13 Memphis, she claimed that before her boyfriend entered the restaurant to collect their order, a trivial event stoked tempers. “This all started over a piece of a paper chip trash bag,” she purported, describing how an ostensibly minor littering issue catalyzed the grave outcome, with the man tapping her car window, seizing the adjacent trash, and hurling it in her face.

Details on the victim's current state and the legal proceedings against McCort remain unfolding. The suspect is now behind bars, facing the serious consequences of a moment where tempers flared over a triviality, and the resultant altercation culminated in an eruption of violence outside a local dining spot.