An altercation between two brothers over food escalated into gun violence last night in East Memphis, resulting in one sibling being critically injured, and the other arrested. The Memphis Police Department reported to the scene at the Legacy of Lynnfield Apartments near St. Francis Hospital, where they found a 16-year-old male had allegedly shot his 20-year-old brother during a dispute. Fox13 Memphis notes the argument was specifically about "he ate his food up" as told by the brothers' father to police officers.
Just before midnight, officers were called to 1300 block of Greentree Valley Court, in response to what was initially deemed an aggravated assault call. The teenage suspect claimed the shooting was accidental, asserting he was playing with the gun, which he mentioned had been obtained from a friend, when it discharged and hit his brother, as Action News 5 reported. Victims’ advocate groups have long raised alarm about the ease of access young people have to firearms, a narrative that finds ground in the grim tableau laid bare by this family tragedy.
The victim, who was found lying on a bedroom floor with a gunshot wound to his stomach, was quickly transported to Regional Health in critical condition. "He shot me," the victim was said to have yelled out after being shot, suggesting that the altercation had reached a boiling point beyond mere words. This account of the events was provided by Memphis Police and corroborated by a statement the father gave to officers upon their arrival at the apartment, WREG News disclosed.
The 16-year-old suspect is now facing charges of aggravated assault and unlawful possession of a weapon, his youth not exempting him from the weight of the justice system. The possession of the handgun by the teen calls into question the oversight, of firearms in the home and the broader issue of juvenile access to such lethal means.
