MEMPHIS, TN – A shooting at a Memphis Walmart left a man critically wounded on Friday afternoon. The suspect, later found to be a former Walmart employee, is currently in police custody. The injured individual is undergoing treatment at Regional One Hospital, as per information provided by the Memphis Fire Department. Tamarris Hopkins, 23, was arrested in connection to the incident and now faces charges including attempted murder, aggravated assault, and reckless endangerment.
Arriving on the scene at 2:15 p.m., the Memphis police discovered multiple shots fired by Hopkins. The investigation has suggested that this was a targeted incident. An altercation between Hopkins and a customer near the store’s entrance reportedly escalated into a violent encounter.
Memphis Police Department confirmed that Hopkins pursued the victim into the store and punched him. The victim attempted to grab Hopkins’ gun, leading Hopkins to shoot him four times. The victim was accompanied by his young son and brother at the time of the shooting.
Eyewitness accounts from a locked-down nearby business described hearing multiple gunshots. More detailed accounts reveal that the shooter was previously involved in an argument with a woman. One witness recalled the victim trying to defuse the heated argument before the shooter followed him back into the store, attacked, and shot him multiple times.
Investigators continue to piece together the sequence of events that led up to the gunfire. Individuals affected by this traumatic experience are urged to seek assistance from Shelby County Crime Victims Center.