MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Six weeks after the Whitehaven shooting in the parking lot near Kroger and Liberty Bank, neighbors in the area say vendors are still illegally setting up.
For instance, some residents said they are concerned that food is being sold without a health permit.
The ongoing "popups" are causing some residents to wonder who is responsible and how can the pop-up vending be stopped.
“They just pop up," Cassandra Taylor, a 50-year Whitehaven resident said. "They just come and set up. They’re selling everything to puppies, to shea butter, to food, to rugs.”
Even after ABC24 learned that council members filed complaints, and they say the unknown owners of the property are due in environmental Taylor says the vendor set up continues on weekends and every holiday.
"There was a police presence there, so we thought 'okay that’s good. It’s been taken care of', but then here comes Father’s Day,” Taylor said.
"It was just like a carnival out there — just like a carnival," Taylor said.
According to the city of Memphis, on private property, it is the property owner’s responsibility.
When ABC crews drove through the lot on June 21, there were no vendors — just shoppers, a couple of security and police cars and a sky cop camera.
Still, Taylor, who says the setup is degrading her beloved community, wants more proactive measures from her representatives. She wants this regardless of the property’s ownership to prevent loitering and solicitation.