Story by Connor Jaschen, Editor-in-Chief
Update: Murray Police Department has confirmed in a press release there were two victims shot. According to the press release, both were eventually airlifted to unidentified Nashville hospitals. The press release reported police are still looking for a suspect.
The Murray Police Department responded to the report of a shooting Friday night on Brooklyn Drive, according to an email from Murray State Public Safety. The email notified students at 10:38 p.m. that unknown suspects left the scene in a white Toyota Camry, however the vehicle description was rescinded at 11:30 p.m.
Brooklyn Drive is in the neighborhood known as “One Bedroom Land.”
Witnesses who live in the area said they heard between four and seven shots fired and said officers told them that there were two or three victims. However, officers on scene declined to comment and phone calls to both the Murray City Police and the Murray State Police departments resulted in no immediate information.
A neighbor, who identified himself only as Austin, said he heard a noise and thought someone was in his backyard tampering with the grill on his patio.
“I went out the back door, heard ‘Help me’ and heard two shots,” Austin said. “I saw the dude laying on one of the patios down there.”
Another neighbor, who identified himself only as Mason, said he heard four or five shots before he went to investigate.
“I opened my screen door and I heard a girl saying ‘Help me, help me, help me,’” Mason said.
He said he stepped outside and two more shots were fired in his direction from a white car fleeing the scene. He said the bullets ricocheted off the ground in front of his home, but he and his property remain unharmed.
“I think what [the shooter] was trying to do was distract me, so I couldn’t witness anything,” Mason said. “But I did see the car and I couldn’t tell what kind of car it was because it kind of scared me when it shot at me.”
Mason said an officer told him one person was shot in the arm, a second person was shot in the leg and a third person was shot in the face. The Murray Ledger and Times reported on Twitter that police had confirmed two victims. Officers refused to confirm any reports to The Murray State News.
Mason said he didn’t know the residents of the apartment.
Another neighbor, who identified himself only as Steven, said he held gauze to the wound of one of the victims.
“I was with the victim in the [backyard],” Steven said. “He had approximately 3 gunshot wounds to the back of his legs.”
Steven said as a long-time resident of Murray, he is shocked by the turn of events.
“All I can tell you that this is something you definitely don’t see happening in Murray,” Steven said.
Good reporting