Man carrying handgun allegedly fires shots outside Jewish school — but officer shoots, critically wounds suspect before he can hurt anyone

An armed suspect who fired several rounds just outside a Jewish school in Memphis was taken out by police before anyone else was harmed.

At about 12:20 p.m. on Monday, staff at Margolin Hebrew Academy, otherwise known as Feinstone Yeshiva of the South, contacted Memphis police because a man carrying a handgun had attempted to enter the school. When the man found he could not enter the building, a contract worker confronted him and the two had a brief interaction, after which the retreating suspect fired two shots. The man then allegedly returned to his vehicle and fired two additional shots as he drove away.

Margolin employees furnished police with several pieces of valuable information. They described the suspect as a white male in his 40s driving a maroon Dodge truck with California plates. They also provided surveillance footage that captured images of the vehicle as well as the suspect carrying an object that appears to be a weapon in his right hand.

Police then disseminated that information to other city and county officials, and the suspect's vehicle was soon afterward spotted by law enforcement. The driver complied when officers pulled him over. However, after his vehicle came to a stop, the suspect exited the vehicle still "armed with a handgun," a statement from Memphis PD said.

A Memphis police officer then fired his service weapon and struck the suspect. The man was transported to an area hospital in critical condition. Thankfully, no one else was injured in connection with this incident.

Memphis Assistant Chief of Police Services Don Crowe hailed the hard work and bravery of his fellow police officers and the Margolin staff to apprehend the suspect quickly and with only one injury. "Today is a great example of very alert, vigilant officers trying to protect the city," Crowe said at a press conference. "I personally truly believe that we have avoided a tragedy. I think the suspect was going to harm somebody before the day was over."

On Monday evening, U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) who represents the district, issued a statement alleging that the suspect "was himself Jewish and a former student at the school." Though law enforcement has not confirmed many details regarding the suspect, including his identity, a spokesperson for the Secure Community Network, an organization affiliated with the school, also stated that the suspect is Jewish and that the incident "was personal in nature."

Margolin Hebrew Academy is an Orthodox Jewish school which serves students from pre-K all the way through 12th grade, including traditional school-day students and boarding students. It is unclear whether any classes were in session during the incident.

"We are very grateful to all of the law-enforcement professionals who were quickly on the scene and played a big part in keeping our school safe, but above all, we are thankful to Hashem [God] for his continued protection," said the school's letter to parents. "We are pleased to reassure you that no one was hurt in any way, and our robust security measures did their job in protecting the school, as well as quickly and effectively leading police to the subject."

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