What we know — and don’t know — about the Margolin Hebrew Academy shooting
Memphis Police officers investigate at the scene of a shooting at Margolin Hebrew School on Monday, July 31, 2023. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)
On Monday, July 31, an armed man entered Margolin Hebrew Academy-Feinstone Yeshiva of the South in East Memphis, and reportedly fired his weapon outside the school.
No injuries were reported at the school, but the suspect fled the scene in his maroon Dodge Ram. Nearly an hour later, Memphis police officers spotted his vehicle near the Berclair area and attempted a traffic stop. The suspect exited his vehicle with a gun in his hand, and an officer fired at him, critically injuring him.
Has law enforcement officially identified the gunman?
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and Memphis Police Department have not identified the gunman.
“Due to the active and ongoing nature of this investigation, we will provide any updates we are able to on our newsroom blog,” said Susan Niland, a spokesperson for TBI.
Is the suspect hospitalized?
On Monday after the suspect was confronted and shot by police, he was transported to the hospital in critical condition.
TBI posted an update to its blog Wednesday, Aug. 2.
“The individual injured in the officer-involved shooting remains hospitalized at this time,” the update reads.
The Daily Memphian has spoken with multiple friends and former classmates of the individual who The Daily Memphian believes to be the alleged gunman, but all of them have declined to let us use their names in a story identifying him.
No one has gone on the record publicly with The Daily Memphian confirming the shooter’s identity.
One source, who identified himself as the suspect’s best friend in middle and high school, said the suspect is still hospitalized in stable condition.
Were any officers injured?
TBI confirmed that no officers were injured in the incident.
What else do we know about the suspect?
Congressman Steve Cohen said Monday the suspect is Jewish and is a former Margolin student. Cohen’s first statement on the situation decried the shooting as “an apparent act of violent antisemitism.” He made the later statement identifying the suspect as a former student after more details emerged.
The person who friends and classmates identified to The Daily Memphian does not appear to have any prior criminal charges.
One classmate told The Daily Memphian he had rallied his friends and family members to check on the suspect after the suspect recently posted concerning social media messages. The suspect did not respond to that outreach.
Has he been charged?
So far, no known charges have been filed against him.
Why not?
“We have no further details to provide currently, other than to confirm the investigation remains active and ongoing,” said TBI spokesman Josh DeVine.
Who is the officer who fired at the suspect?
“The TBI does not identify the officers involved in these types of incidents and instead refers questions of that nature to the respective department to answer as it sees fit,” the TBI’s blog update said.
MPD did not immediately respond to a request for the officer’s name.
What is TBI’s role in the investigation?
Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy calls TBI to independently investigate officer-involved shootings. As a result, MPD has referred all questions to TBI.
“The TBI acts solely as fact-finders in its cases and does not determine whether the actions of an officer were justified in these types of matters; that decision rests with the District Attorney General requesting TBI’s involvement,” the TBI statement reads.
There is no state law requiring TBI to investigate use-of-force cases in Tennessee; it is up to the discretion of the District Attorney General for that judicial district to request an investigation, according to the TBI.
However, Mulroy’s predecessor Amy Weirich signed a memorandum of understanding with TBI and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office in 2015. The MOU asserts that the DA’s office must call TBI in when a person dies by an MPD or SCSO officer, or if a detainee in a jail facility dies in custody under questionable or unusual circumstances, or if the death was sudden and not under medical supervision.
What have school officials said?
Margolin Hebrew Academy posted a statement on Facebook Tues., Aug. 1.
“We are shocked and saddened by the events that took place at MHA-FYOS yesterday, and incredibly grateful to God that thanks to our school’s extensive security measures and the swift response by the Memphis Police Department, everyone is safe,” the statement reads.
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Topics
Margolin Hebrew Academy crime Shooting officer-involved shooting East MemphisJulia Baker
A lifelong Memphian, Julia Baker graduated from the University of Memphis in 2021. Other publications and organizations she has written for include Chalkbeat, Memphis Flyer, Memphis Parent magazine and Memphis magazine.
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