MEMPHIS – A man was shot by the police after he fired shots at the Margolin Hebrew Academy on White Station Road Monday afternoon.
Attempting to gain entry into the school, the man started firing at the door, police say. He then fled the scene in a maroon RAM pickup truck with California license plates.
Subsequently, officers spotted the suspect’s vehicle near McCory and Gary in Berclair, prompting them to initiate a traffic stop. As the man exited the pickup truck with a gun in hand, an officer fired, resulting in the suspect being taken to Regional One in critical condition. No other injuries were reported, and everyone at the Margolin Hebrew Academy confirmed they were unharmed during the incident.
“Today is a great example of very vigilant officers trying to protect the city. I personally believe that we have avoided a tragedy. I believe the suspect was going to harm somebody before the day was over,” said Assistant Police Chief Don Crowe.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is now in charge of investigating the shooting. In response to the incident, Memphis-Shelby County Schools placed all their schools on a precautionary lockdown while the police conducted their investigation.
As of now, the police cannot determine if the shooting at the Hebrew academy qualifies as a hate crime.
