MPD releases video of suspect car in fatal shooting at James Lounge

MEMPHIS, Tennessee – Police have released video of a car they say is connected to a shooting at a Memphis club that left two men dead and another seriously injured in August.

Investigators said officers with the Memphis Police Department were called to the James Lounge on Summer Avenue shortly after 1 a.m. on Wednesday, August 14, 2024, for a shooting.

When officers arrived at the scene, they found three men, two of whom were pronounced dead at the scene. The other victim was taken to Regional One Health and is in critical condition, according to MPD.

Investigators said they obtained video of a large gray or silver SUV that may be a suspect vehicle. The footage shows the SUV driving toward the intersection of Hillcrest Street and Summer Avenue. An unknown number of suspects in the SUV then began firing into the crowd in the parking lot outside the James Lounge, police said. The SUV was last seen traveling westbound on Summer Avenue.

An ABC24 photographer on the scene described the situation as “chaotic” and said he saw two ambulances leaving the scene, both carrying victims. He also said he saw the club's windows and several cars in the parking lot riddled with bullet holes.

In response to the shooting, the district attorney's office sent a letter Wednesday afternoon calling for immediate action to deter crime, such as hiring security guards on bail and registering surveillance cameras with Connect2Memphis.

In a signed letter, District Attorney Steve Mulroy also proposed “temporarily closing the company if it is unable to manage and control ongoing criminal activities.”

If immediate action is not taken, the letter warned, the lounge could be classified as a public nuisance, which would lead to the closure of the business.

According to MPD, this is an ongoing investigation. Anyone with information about this incident should call Crime Stoppers at (901) 528-CASH.