MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Monday, pastors and lawmakers gathered in Whitehaven demanding the creation of more violence prevention and intervention programs, after a violent weekend in the neighborhood left a restaurant owner dead and a child seriously hurt.
Memphis police responded to two shootings within minutes of each other Sunday afternoon. The first incident police responded to was at Elvis Presley near Brooks at Tha Table restaurant. MPD also responded to the shooting of a boy two and a half miles away in the 4600 block of Elvis Presley.
Monday morning, members of the Concerned Pastors of Whitehaven held a news conference with city and state leaders to announce their sadness over the weekend violence.
“Enough is enough, and we are working to ensure we bring intervention programs to our community that will stop this senseless violence in the future,” said Tyrone Hunt, Healing Cathedral Christian Church Pastor.
The almost dozen pastors in attendance promised to open up their churches and assist with city intervention programs, and urged the community to do the same.
“We are victims ourselves, the young men that came to my home, they had guns, ready to shoot at any moment, just to take my car,” said Lorenzo Caldwell, Pastor at Breaking The Stronghold Ministries, “I love this community, we’re excited about what’s going here, and we’re going to keep fighting, and we’re going to let them know that we’re not going anywhere.”
Tennessee House Minority Leader Karen Camper was also in attendance at Monday’s conference, saying in a statement to ABC24:
“The tragic events of this weekend have left me heartbroken. A young teenager shot while trying to sell water on the side of the street and a shooting at one of our much-needed local businesses are just two of the violent acts that occurred in the past several days. It’s devastating to our community, where we’ve been heartsick for some time.
It’s time for us to come up with concrete solutions to stem the circle of violence and grief that is shattering our city. We all need to pull together, from my fellow elected leaders to the clergy to the community. We have to create preventive alternatives for our youth, toughen the laws that are allowing easy access to guns and get those criminals that continue to endanger our neighborhoods off the streets.”
The day since the shooting has been devastating for the family of Alfonzo Turner. The Memphian is the owner of Tha Table, his family said he was shot and killed Sunday.
Several of Turner’s loved ones showed up to his restaurant Monday afternoon, crying and heartbroken, knowing violence ended Turner’s life.
“He was loved…and he loved people,” said William Turner, Alfonzo’s Older Brother, “He was just always fun, happy, super-talented, could do anything, big dreamer, you know you could see it in a place like this.”
Tha Table was Alfonzo’s dream when he opened up the restaurant just a few months ago in the spring. The Memphian wanted the space to represent the best of the Bluff City, and something he could show his newborn daughter.
“He was the life of the party to the community, the party to the church, the party to his friends and family, and even the food, and that’s what this was a culmination of,” said William Turner, “He wanted this to be a light.”
Now the family is trying to remain strong together, and William Turner hopes this will motivate people to find the help they need, before another life is lost.
“Find a place, find a community, find a church, find someone who can teach you how to go about getting things the right way,” said William Turner.
The family tells ABC24 the future plans for Tha Table remain unclear.
Memphis police says Sunday’s shootings are still under investigation with no arrests made at this time.