MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - Another incredibly stupid Memphis shooting, but this one happened next to a city swimming pool packed with kids trying to beat the heat. Why? Because there was no apology after two guys bumped shoulders.
"It is sad to see that one another have to treat each other to that extent," said Joe Howard, steps away from the shooting scene.
Memphis police say the shooting started after two men bumped shoulders outside the Douglass Community Center Pool in North Memphis. Officers say one of the men demanded an apology. When that didn't come, the two got into a fight. According to police, at one point, one of the men in a group of four pulled out a gun and shot a 19-year-old male in the ankle.
A community advocate says this crime, especially over something so trivial, points to a growing issue in the Mid-South: An inability to know when to walk away.
"Everyone wants to be tough, everyone wants to get their voice heard, and nobody wants to submit to authority," said DeAndre Brown, founder of Lifeline to Success.
Brown says he works daily to reverse a culture of 'act first, then think.'
"We have to learn that power is not because you can fight, or you can shoot, power is having the ability to withstand and endure and not react," said Brown.
The suspect is described as black male, and police say he may have left in a white Dodge Charger.
"Terrible that, sad that, we had come to that, you can't even treat each other with respect," said Howard.
The victim was transported to The MED. He's expected to be okay.
