MEMPHIS, Tenn. — MPD officials announced on Sept. 4, 2024, that two suspects of a shooting in May 2023 have been charged.
Police said officers responded to an attempted robbery and shooting outside of 51 Harbor Town Square shortly after 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 13, 2023.
MPD said the victim of the robbery fired several shots at one of two suspects, who then drove away in a black Nissan.
There were around 50 customers in the restaurant when the shots were fired, according to Tug's officials.
MPD said after responding to the original scene at Tug's Casual Grill, officers found a man with gunshot wounds who had been dropped off at the fire station located at 1463 N. Second St.
Investigators said they determined that the victim was involved in the shooting that happened at Tug's restaurant.
Police said this man was taken to Regional One in critical condition, but he later died at the hospital.
Another person was taken to the hospital in non-critical for a medical issue that was not related to the shots being fired.
The Homicide Bureau and the Multi-Agency Gang Unit investigated the case together, according to police officials.
Investigators said they determined that Young Mob members Brian Lackland and Paul Nelson were responsible.
On August 29, 2024 indictments were returned in this case, according to MPD officials.
Brian Lackland, or “Stupid Duke”, 34, and Paul Nelson, 31, were each charged with attempted first degree murder, employment of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony, conspiracy to commit first degree murder and reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon, police said.
Both are in custody and additional charges are expected, investigators said.
Former Memphis mayoral candidate Michelle McKissack tweeted that her mother and sister were at the restaurant when the shooting took place.
Originally McKissack used the hashtag "#massshooting" before editing her tweet to just say "#shooting."
"Once we got more information, I tried to go back and delete the tweets because we thought they were shooting," McKissack said. "We thought we heard this loud bang. I'm still trying to process what happened, but I tried to delete those tweets because, at the time, my sister thought — she got up and ran — [but] she thought that they were shooting inside the restaurant."
Still, McKissack called the incident "insane."
"We have got to do something," McKissack said. "This has hit right in my own family now, and I thank God that they're physically okay. My mother is literally sitting on my living room sofa shaking. She cannot believe that she came so close to tragedy like this."