One person died, and another two were critically injured from what police call a “targeted attack” on South Main Street in Downtown Memphis early Sunday morning, Aug. 27. 

At 2:56 a.m., Memphis Police Department officers responded to a shooting call at the 300 block of South Main. They found three victims “in close proximity to the scene” in critical condition.

One of those victims, a woman who was found at Pontotoc Avenue and South Main Street, died.

Council pushes for permanent sheriff’s presence on Beale

A man was found in critical condition at Vance Avenue and South Main, and a woman was found in critical condition at Front Street and Madison Avenue. 

All three victims had “apparent gunshot wounds,” police said. They were all transported to nearby hospitals, where the female victim found at Pontotoc died.

Police posted an investigation update at about 1:30 p.m. Sunday saying, “Preliminary information suggests this was a targeted attack, not a random act of violence. We will continue to update you as the investigation progresses.”

This is an ongoing investigation, MPD said.

Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to call CrimeStoppers at 901-528- CASH (2274).

MPD launches Downtown traffic control safety plan

The location of the apparent shooting and the locations where the victims were found were just outside MPD and the Downtown Memphis Commission’s newly announced downtown safety plan zone.

On Aug. 22, the Memphis City Council called for the Shelby County Sheriff’ s Office to be a permanent part of a new Downtown safety plan on and around Beale Street.

The resolution by council chairman Martavius Jones and council vice chairman JB Smiley Jr. asking the Memphis Police Department to request permanent cooperation from Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. was approved by the council on a 10-0 vote.

Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis says sheriff’s deputies are temporary and being used to “shore up” MPD’s presence until permanent police assignments are made for the effort. 

For now, Memphis Police are relying on temporary police assignments until the MPD can make those assignments permanent.

Other features of the adaptable MPD-DMC plan include issuing warnings to Beale Street businesses that play loud music outside their entrances after a certain hour.

The DMC, which runs the city-owned district, is also using new walk-through metal detectors that can detect weapons without patrons having to empty their pockets or be wanded with hand-held devices, among other techniques.