Memphis Police Chief C.J. Davis said that they believe at least two individuals opened fire at a party attended by as many as 300 people. When police arrived on the scene, they found five people with gunshot wounds, two of whom were brought to local hospitals; two others, both male, were pronounced dead at the scene.
Several other victims went to the hospital in private vehicles to be treated for gunshot wounds, and at least one is still in critical condition. Although initial reports indicated there were 16 gunshot victims, further investigation resulted in a downward revision because several victims were reported multiple times. Police are currently looking over video footage and other evidence to determine what happened.
“We are working tirelessly tonight to identify the individuals who were involved in this shooting,” Davis noted.
The incident highlights the dangerous trend of street takeovers, which take place when people block traffic in a roadway or intersection so they can race vehicles or perform donuts. In many cases, flash mobs of hundreds of spectators are involved, and onlookers often film the events and post them on social media.
A social media user shared video footage on X of the recent Memphis shooting. The video begins by showing a black driver performing donuts in a vehicle. Although the video is difficult to follow as the camera is moving a lot, a barrage of gunfire can be heard, and someone tells people to “stay down.”
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At least 16 people were just shot during a "teen takeover" in Memphis.
Our cities turn into war zones every night and weekend, but the media refuses to even talk about it. pic.twitter.com/jPomhI34qW
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) April 21, 2024
The problem is getting so bad in Memphis that the Memphis Police Department recently announced that it would be creating a “vehicle takeover task force” to combat it. They also discussed the possibility of taking vehicles from people who are arrested for reckless driving crimes, with Davis saying that they may seize them for 20 days.
State lawmakers are currently considering a bill that would make the behavior a felony. A bill sponsored by a pair of Republicans and a Democrat, HB2814, is currently in the state legislature and would see the penalty for drag racing raised from a misdemeanor to a felony.
People throughout the country are complaining about these takeovers, particularly those who live near streets and intersections that are popular sites for these dangerous events and are kept awake by the sounds of loud engines revving and tires screeching. The types of crowds they attract often engage in other types of illegal activity, such as drug use, and are turning cities into war zones at night.
Like the incident in Memphis, many of these “sideshows” also end with gunshots. In January, a string of street takeovers took place in South Los Angeles and Compton, and one of them ended with four people being shot. There were dozens of arrests and citations, and dozens of vehicles were impounded. In one of the incidents, partygoers shut down an entire bridge. A similar incident in Miami saw three people shot during a street takeover.
Last summer, a street takeover in Fort Worth resulted in a police chase; a married couple was killed in the same city when they were struck by street racers as they returned home from an evening out.
Sources for this article include: