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City Council proposes gun control referendum after a weekend of shootings in Memphis

The first reading of the referendum will take place Tuesday May 16th, but it will still need to pass two more, and a public comment before it's on the ballot in 2024

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Memphis City Council said it will unveil its new approach to gun reform, and council members hope newly proposed gun laws will put a stop to the increase in shootings near restaurants and public, crowded spaces.

Less than a month after separate shootings took place in broad daylight in front of Alfred's restaurant in Downtown Memphis and in the parking lot near a Huey's restaurant on Poplar Ave., Memphis Police responded to yet another shooting that happened at a Harbortown restaurant Saturday, May 13.

Saturday night was supposed to be peaceful for people at Tug’s Casual Grill, but instead it turned violent in a matter of moments when the shooting broke out.

One man was critically injured in the shooting, and he later died.

"I got this frantic phone call saying shots were fired," Memphis mayoral candidate Michelle McKissack said. Her family was at Tug’s when the shooting took place.

According to Tug’s management, shots were exchanged inside the restaurant after an altercation outside. 

In a Facebook post, Tug’s wrote "there were approximately 50 customers in Tug’s at the time who were safely escorted out." 

The restaurant did not mention that MPD later confirmed that the man who officers found at a fire station suffering from gunshot wounds and who later died was connected to the shooting that broke out at the restaurant. 

The restaurant is currently closed for repairs until further notice.

Tug’s Closed as a Result of a Recent Incident On Saturday, May 13th around 7:30 pm, an individual was chased into Tug’s...

Posted by Tug's Casual Grill on Sunday, May 14, 2023
Credit: Tug's Casual Grill



“This is what everyone is talking about, but it’s just not happening here in Harbortown,” said McKissack.

On May 16th, the Memphis City Council said it hopes to address incidents like this by opening discussion on a four-part 2024 voter referendum. Councilman Dr. Jeff Warren hopes this will help ban the future sale of assault weapons, and restrict the use of the ones already on the streets.

"A, to ban assault weapons, and to make sure people who already own assault weapons keep them locked in their homes, and they take them to and from their homes to shooting ranges, and they don't carry them around on the street," said Dr. Jeff Warren, Memphis City Council Member.

If the measure gets on the ballot and passes, it will also challenge the state law on open carry in Memphis city limits, and require a license for open and concealed carry, and create a red flag law.

"So by the time this becomes law, hopefully our state would have moved on it, and other states would have too," said Councilman Warren.

Even though Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has called for a special session to address gun reform in August, Republican lawmakers still hold a supermajority, and have expressed little interest in any new gun measures.

"I think we may have to deal with a public health crisis in a different manner if we're not seeing a lot of movement in the state legislature to help us," said Councilman Warren.

The proposed referendum would require three city council votes and would need to survive a public comment period before it goes on the 2024 ballot.

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