Shooting at Lil Baby concert in Memphis may be premeditated, targeted: police
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - One person was shot and wounded at a Memphis concert headlined by Atlanta rapper Lil Baby in what was believed to be a premeditated, targeted shooting, police said.
The Memphis Police Department posted on social media that officers responded to a report of a shooting late Thursday at FedExForum. The 19,000-seat arena is home to the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies and the University of Memphis men’s basketball team.
A male victim was taken to a hospital and was no longer in critical condition Friday, according to police, who said no other injuries were reported.
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Police said they were working to identify and find the shooter. They did not yet know how the shooter managed to bring a gun into the arena, which contracts with a private security company to screen people for weapons.
Lil Baby performs onstage at the United Center on August 24, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Natasha Moustache/Getty Images)
Lil Baby was rushed off the stage when shots were fired, WREG-TV reported. Police said the concert was canceled, and the building was evacuated.
"I heard a pop," Clarissa Johnson, who attended the concert, told WREG. "I’m not sure what happened, but I had a suite, so I told all my crew, ‘get down.’ So we evacuated. Once we evacuated, did a head count. I’m still not sure what happened."
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A representative for the rapper did not immediately respond to a request from The Associated Press for more information.
Lil Baby posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Friday afternoon, "Unfortunately I Couldn’t Perform Last Night In Memphis , Ima Make Sure Everybody Gets A Refund Tho" with an emoji showing two hands making a heart symbol.