A man was shot early Sunday morning in Highland Heights and taken to a hospital in critical condition, Memphis police said. Officers responded to a shooting call around 8:20 a.m. in the 3300 block of Powell Avenue, where they found the victim suffering from a gunshot wound.
The man was reported in critical condition, according to WREG.com. Police have not released suspect information, and the shooting remains an ongoing investigation. Officers have asked anyone with information to call CrimeStoppers.
A Neighborhood On Edge
Sunday's shooting is the latest in a string of violent incidents that have rattled Highland Heights in recent weeks. On September 4, an attempted robbery shooting near Pacific Avenue and Baltic Street left a driver in critical condition after a stranger demanded his belongings while he was dropping off a friend, as Hoodline reported in Highland Heights Robbery Ends in Gunfire. That same overnight-violence pattern also surfaced in a broader roundup of shootings across the city.
The month before that, in August, 19-year-old Tomarrion Smith was arrested and charged with murder following a deadly robbery shooting on Faxon Avenue, which lies within Highland Heights, according to Hoodline's earlier report on the case, Teen Charged With Murder After Faxon Avenue Robbery. The two incidents add to the recent record of gun violence in the area.
Precinct And Statutory Context
Highland Heights falls under the jurisdiction of the Memphis Police Department's Tillman Station Precinct, also known as the Central Precinct, headquartered at 426 Tillman Street, per the Memphis Police Department.
Police have not identified a suspect, and no arrest information was available. The lack of publicly available suspect information underscores how early the investigation remains.
Crime Trends Offer A Mixed Picture
The Powell Avenue shooting comes even as citywide numbers point toward improvement. The Memphis Police Department reported that violent crime fell significantly during the second quarter of 2026, including a 30% drop in aggravated assaults and a 60% decrease in murders compared to the same period in 2025. The department's Homicide Bureau also posted an 81% clearance rate in the second quarter of 2026, up from 47% a year earlier.
Even so, the recent shootings in Highland Heights suggest that citywide gains have not fully eased concerns in every neighborhood.
How To Submit A Tip
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact CrimeStoppers of Memphis and Shelby County at 901-528-CASH.
This report does not provide historical background on Highland Heights. Investigators have not said whether the shooting is connected to the other recent incidents in the area.
