5 min read
Major Takeaways
Six people were hurt when gunfire broke out outside Yams Entertainment Event Center in Oakhaven early Saturday, and three of them were seriously hurt.
Memphis Police say the shooting started with a fight outside the venue, near Winchester Road and Old Tchulahoma Road.
Kendell Catron, 24, has been charged with four counts of aggravated assault. The charges are allegations, and he is presumed innocent as the case moves forward.
Police have not released the names or the ages of the people who were hurt, and the venue has not made a public statement.
What Happened Outside the Venue
The call came in during the early hours of Saturday, October 24, at a time when the night out was winding down.
Memphis Police say a fight broke out outside Yams Entertainment Event Center in Oakhaven, in the area of Winchester Road and Old Tchulahoma Road.
Shots rang out around 2 a.m. Saturday, and the parking lot celebration turned into a scramble for safety.
When officers arrived, they found a chaotic scene and people hurt in the gunfire.
Six people were hurt in all. Three of them were seriously hurt, and all six were taken for medical care.
Police reported no deaths in the shooting, a fact that brings relief even as families wait on word about their loved ones.
One man was taken into custody at the scene as officers worked to sort out who fired and why.
The Man in Custody Now Faces Charges
Police have since identified the man in custody as Kendell Catron, a Memphis man who is 24 years old.
Catron has been charged with four counts of aggravated assault in connection with the shooting.
Booking records and court filings will shape what happens next, including a bond decision and a first court date.
Urban City Podcast reminds readers that a charge is an allegation. Catron has not been convicted of anything in this case.
Police have not said whether anyone else fired a weapon, and they have not announced any additional arrests.
What Officials Have Not Confirmed
For a story this big, the unanswered questions are piling up fast.
Police have not said what sparked the fight outside the venue, only that a fight came before the gunfire.
Officials have not released the names, the ages, or the genders of the six people who were hurt.
Police also have not given an updated condition for each victim beyond the first reports from the scene.
The venue itself has not spoken publicly about the shooting, the crowd that night, or security on site.
Anyone with information about the shooting can call CrimeStoppers at 901 528 CASH and share what they know.
Another Night Out, Another Call No Family Wants
Oakhaven is home. It is barbershops and churches, family cookouts and Friday night lights, a Black community that looks out for its own.
Places like Yams matter in that picture. Event centers host birthday parties, repasts, reunions and celebrations that hold a community together.
That is what makes a night like this cut so deep. A place built for joy became a crime scene before sunrise.
Memphis families know this rhythm too well by now. The phone buzzes, a name flashes, and hearts drop until somebody confirms who is safe.
The city is still carrying fresh grief, including the case of Kohen Wiley, the toddler killed this summer just south of Memphis.
Residents are asking a fair question. What is being done so that a fight outside a venue stops at words instead of gunfire?
Wanting safe streets and wanting Black gathering places to thrive are not opposing ideas. This community deserves both at the same time.
A Weekend of Gunfire at Gatherings
Memphis was not alone this weekend. Hours later on Saturday, a shooting near the Florida A and M homecoming in Tallahassee left 12 people injured as crowds celebrated.
Two cities, two celebrations, and the same sick feeling by Sunday morning.
It is a pattern this country keeps repeating, and Black communities keep paying the highest price for it.
What Happens Next
The investigation is still open, and detectives are still piecing together the minutes before the shots.
Catron is expected to face a judge in Shelby County, where a bond will be set and the case will start to take shape.
Police could add charges or make more arrests as video and witness accounts come in.
Urban City Podcast will follow the conditions of the six people hurt and every court step that follows.
Read more of our latest coverage in Urban City Podcast News, and keep the victims and their families in your prayers.
