MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Shelby County Grand Jury will take up the case against a former employee of a Cordova Walmart accused of shooting a man in the store in March.
Tamarris Harris, 23, is charged with attempted second-degree murder, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, and more. During a court hearing March 25, a judge set the bond at $500,000. The next day, A public defender was assigned to the case. The case was sent to the grand jury on April 26. He remains in the Shelby County Jail.
According to Memphis Police, they responded to multiple shooting calls at the Walmart on 537 N. Germantown Parkway around 2:15 p.m. Friday, March 22, 2024. They found a man suffering from a gunshot wound and rushed him to Regional One Hospital in critical condition.
Memphis Police said the shooter, later identified as former Walmart employee Tamarris Harris, ran from the scene in a black Mazda SUV. According to MPD, Shelby County Sheriff's deputies assisting with the search for the man believed they caught him at I-240 and Airways Blvd., but were later told they had the wrong man.
Memphis Police then announced around 9 p.m. Friday that they had arrested Hopkins.
Joel Hinojosa was one of the customers who witnessed the shooting. He said as he was leaving Walmart people were running towards the exit stumbling over each other.
Hinojosa believes he heard there were eight rounds fired inside the store. He called this incident "tragic and scary." Hinojosa told ABC24 he never imagined being in a situation where a shooting would happen.
"You hear about it but you don't think too much about it you just kinda have sympathy towards the people, but when you're in an actual shooting everything changes," Hinojosa said. "I felt that today would be my last day."
A victim gave police an account of what happened, according to an affidavit from the Shelby County Sheriff's Office.
This victim, his brother-and-law and the brother-in-law’s son were walking in when they said they saw Hopkins arguing with a woman, according to the affidavit. The victim said these two were arguing in front of a Black SUV that was parked in front of the entrance, according to the affidavit.
The victim said he and his party looked over at the suspect and this woman the suspect was arguing with when they walked by, according to the affidavit. They made it to the entrance way when the suspect reportedly yelled at them, asking what they were looking at.
The brother-in-law and the suspect started arguing at this point. The suspect then walked over and punched the brother-in-law in the face, according to the affidavit.
The suspect then pulled out a gun, and the brother-in-law also pulled out a gun. The two fired at each other and the brother-in-law was hit three times, according to the affidavit, and the suspect then left the scene.
After investigators interviewed the person that told them this information, they said they identified the suspect. They also said they talked to a woman who saw this happen and took cover, exiting the store.
At around 6 p.m. Hopkins reportedly turned himself in.