I heard about 20 gunshots popping off in rapid succession at about 9:45 last night. It sounded to the south and west of my apartment. I guessed the location to be Riverside and Monroe, but a post on Nextdoor places the gunfire at Front and Beale. At least two vehicles were said to be exchanging shots at that location.
In other words, in a span of about 20 seconds, I heard more gunshots than I heard my first 17 years of living Downtown pre-pandemic. I also heard squealing tires and revving engines that sounded like people were drag racing on Riverside.
OK here we go. From WREG: Police investigating shooting outside new Downtown Memphis hotel. Shell casings were found all over the area. Welcome to the neighborhood, Hyatt Centric! Imagine what the TripAdvisor reviews are going to look like if you don’t use your influence with the city to get police to crack down hard.
I wonder how many tenants The Waterford will lose this year because of this bullshit.
I wonder how much the value of condos at 266 Lofts on Front will be depressed by the fact that there’s a war zone outside on the weekends.
I looked out my window about 9 last night and saw plenty of kids riding around on scooters. I wonder how long it will be before a second one gets caught in the crossfire.
I wonder if any conventions will bypass Memphis after their organizers read the headlines about Downtown Memphis and learn about the cruising and the shootings.
I wonder if any season ticket holders will decide not to renew their 2021-22 Orpheum plan because they feel it’s not safe to come to the Orpheum’s neighborhood.
AutoZone could certainly throw its corporate weight around with the city and request something be done… after all, this is happening in its Store Support Center’s backyard.
In other news…
The Grizzlies improved to 24-23 and 8th place in the Western Conference with a win over Philly last night.
The NCAA men’s basketball championship tips off tonight at 8:20 on CBS. All the Cinderellas are gone, leaving the two best teams in the country, Baylor and Gonzaga, to battle it out for a national title.
That’s all I’ve got for this Monday. I’ll keep my eye on the news for more info on the shooting last night. Back tomorrow.