MEMPHIS, Tenn. — As we work to learn more information about what happened at the Walmart in Cordova Friday after a shooting left one person seriously hurt, causing a massive response from both Memphis Police and the Shelby County Sheriff's Office, speculation on social media about the shooting is spreading.
According to Memphis Police, they responded to multiple shooting calls at the Walmart on 537 N. Germantown Parkway around 2:15 p.m. Friday.
There, they found a man suffering from a gunshot wound and rushed him to Regional One Hospital in critical condition.
Memphis Police then announced around 9 p.m. Friday that they arrested 23-year-old Tamarris Hopkins, and charged him with attempted murder, among other charges.
Speculation on social media about the nature of the shooting, the suspect, and how the manhunt for him was handled is spreading, so we're Verifying what we know about the case.
WHAT WE KNOW
- The suspect was a former Walmart employee
- Memphis Police have the suspect in custody
THE SOURCES
- Memphis Police Department
Memphis Police said in a press conference Friday that the suspect, who they later identified as Hopkins, was a former employee at the Walmart, according to their preliminary information.
We reached out to Walmart for a response, and while they did not confirm whether Hopkins was employed at the store, they expressed their sentiments with the incident:
“The safety of our associates and customers is our top priority. We will work closely with local law enforcement through the course of their investigation and refer any additional questions to them.”
Memphis Police also confirmed he was in custody as of 9 p.m. Friday, five hours after the shooting took place, and well after a large police presence gathered on I-240 and Airways Blvd.
WHAT IS FALSE
- The shooting at the Cordova Walmart was an "active shooter" situation
THE SOURCES
- Memphis Police Department
- The FBI
Shortly after the shooting was reported, multiple users on social media, including some media outlets, posted information that there was an "active shooter" at the Cordova Walmart.
The FBI defines an active shooter situation as "an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area."
In the case of the shooting at the Cordova Walmart, according to police, the suspect knew the victim, and ran from the scene after shots were fired.
We also asked Memphis Police directly if they referred to the incident as an active shooter situation, and they told us no such incident occurred at the Walmart.
WHAT WE'RE STILL WORKING TO FIND OUT
- Shelby County Sheriff's Office originally caught the wrong guy.
Shortly after the shooting was reported, Memphis Police said the shooter ran from the scene in a black Mazda SUV.
A scene then emerged on I-240 and Airways Blvd., where multiple police officers gathered, blocking the exit.
According to MPD, Shelby County Sheriff's deputies assisting with the search for the man told officers they caught him at I-240 and Airways Blvd., but were later told they got the wrong man, and the suspect was still on the loose at the time.
While we consider this credible information from MPD, we're waiting to hear back from the Shelby County Sheriff's Office on their account of what happened, before we report this as fact.
