More details are emerging about what led a suspect identified as a transgender woman to shoot two women at an LGBTQ+ community center in Memphis last week.
Aljon Tyler, 30, who police say is known as “Jewell,” faces several charges, including three counts of attempted second-degree murder. Tyler was identified in a lineup by a witness and arrested last Wednesday.
Related
Cops say Tyler and a man were arguing in front of OUTMemphis’ office on Cooper Street around 4 p.m. on Tuesday when the altercation moved inside.
The Memphis Police Department said the suspect often “frequents” the area of Jefferson Avenue and North Claybrook Street in Midtown, Fox13 Memphis reported.
Never Miss a Beat
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights.
Inside the community center, cops said Tyler reached into her purse, pulled out a gun, and stated, “I’m gonna shoot you.”
The suspect opened fire, injuring two bystanders.
Responding officers found one of the victims with a gunshot wound to her neck and an injury to her right hand. The second victim was shot in her lower-right abdomen. Both women were transported to a local hospital.
Memphis police enlisted the public’s help in tracking down Tyler, who was known to frequent the area around Midtown Memphis, where the community center is located.
A witness interviewed at the scene was sitting in a car outside of OUTMemphis when they heard gunfire from inside the center.
The witness said that an individual walked out and asked, “Where is my gun?” and then walked back inside. The suspect came back out with the gun in hand, they said, and then walked northbound away from the crime scene.
According to an arrest affidavit, Tyler was known colloquially as “Jewell” and had a history of visiting local shelters. Cops say Tyler was identified in a lineup by one of the shooting victims and taken into custody on Wednesday.
The second victim was in critical condition, but both women are expected to recover.
Cops are confident that the shooting was not a hate crime, according to Vanessa Rodley, president of Mid-South Pride in Memphis.
“Immediately, everyone’s asking if they’re targeting. Is this a hate crime? Are they targeting gay people?” she told Action News 5. Her organization’s monthly meeting happened just hours after the shooting, and attendees were nervous about the news.
She described OUTMemphis as “our home,” adding “[It’s] not expected for anything like this to happen in that type of space.”
Rodley said she later learned that the shooting was not a targeted attack.
OUTMemphis closed its doors for a week following what they described as a “traumatic event.”
Subscribe to the LGBTQ Nation newsletter and be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.