A tragic incident unfolded during a seemingly benign family barbecue in Memphis, shaking the Orange Mound community when a 2-year-old girl was caught in a violent altercation. Gunfire erupted late Sunday night on Semmes Street, leaving the young child wounded but in non-critical condition, as confirmed by the Memphis Police Department. The events transpired just after 11 p.m., when a family dispute turned into a dangerous shootout, according to WREG.
Reportedly, the child's father, who is not named, was invited to the cookout. Upon arrival, he was met with a distressing scene where the woman who had invited him was embroiled in a physical confrontation with her sister. According to Action News 5, an argument escalated when the woman's brother instructed the father to get back and subsequently pushed him. The father pushed back, prompting the brother to swiftly pull out a gun and open fire, unfortunately hitting the man's daughter in the process.
The child was then urgently taken to LeBonheur Children's Hospital by her parents, where medical professionals quickly evaluated her and determined she was stable. The Memphis Police Department detailed that the suspect was detained on the scene, and the investigation is ongoing. No arrests have been made to date, and the suspect's identity has not yet been released, as stated in FOX13 Memphis.
The community reaction was one of shock and dismay. "The kids ain’t asked to be involved in whatever was going on. It’s just sad," mentioned an anonymous man who spoke with FOX13 while expressing concern for personal safety. Another local resident, Tamika Malone, recounted her fear upon hearing the gunfire, telling FOX13, "It's real scary 'cause I was standing outside when it happened. I really didn’t think it was just that close."
The community's hope is to swiftly bring to resolve this incident and to seek justice for the harm inflicted upon the child and her family.
