MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The constant struggle to make people feel safer in Downtown Memphis took a blow over the weekend after two shootings happened within hours from each other.
Last Saturday before 11 p.m., Memphis Police told ABC24 44-year-old Benjamin Murrell was shot near 4th St. and Beale St..
Authorities said Murrell later died from his injuries at a nearby hospital.
MPD said Murrell was recently arrested on July 14, a weekend before he was killed, during "Operation Saturday Night Live" for multiple drug possession charges.
The other shooting happened on Sunday around 4 a.m. MPD said one was injured a shooting near Main St. and Pontotoc Ave.
According to a police report, officers found 18 shell casings at that scene. Police said the incident started from an argument between the victim and three men.
In April, Mayor Paul Young promised Memphians there will be more police officers hitting the streets to keep the community protected.
Kooky Canuck owner Shawn Danko said when crime hits the downtown area, it hurts tourism and businesses.
"We're feeling the pressure not only from a local perspective but also from a tourism perspective that sales are down," Danko said.
Danko said police activity has been slow up until the last few weeks. He said the issues of reducing crime are far from being resolved.
"I don't think we've solved anything yet because we've dug a deep hole for ourselves and we've got a ways to go to battle back out," he said.
Terrence Wright is a Memphian who works near Downtown Memphis. He believes more police would prevent some shootings from happening.
"To be honest, it's getting way to regular around these parts. The police presence is definitely needed," Wright said.
Wright added he doesn't believe the need to reduce crime should fall solely on the City of Memphis administration. He said the community should step up too.
"They've got a plan that they they're going to go by, and with our community we got a plan, that we can go by to try and get everything together," he said. "Maybe we can get all of this...taken care of as a whole together."
ABC24 reached out to Mayor Young about the shootings over the weekend. He provided the following statement:
"The incidents took place outside of the Beale Street security perimeter. Any injury or loss of life to gun violence is unacceptable and we are working strategically with MPD to apprehend the individuals responsible for these actions and to reduce overall violent crime across the city."