A 28-year-old man upset over a breakup with his girlfriend has been arrested after police alleged he planned to shoot people leaving an event at an arena in downtown Memphis, Tennessee, according to the authorities.
Elijah Hyman was arrested Saturday morning at his apartment for committing an act of terrorism, according to a statement from the Memphis Police Department.
Hyman allegedly threatened to carry out a mass shooting targeting people leaving the FedExForum in Memphis, police said.
Police did not specify the date of the planned attack or event, but rapper Yo Gotti said his annual Forum birthday party on Friday night was the target.
“We have been made aware of a potential threat regarding an individual seeking to harm attendees leaving (the) Birthday Bash which occurred 3 hours after our show ended,” said Yo Gotti, a rapper from Memphis whose real name is Mario Mims, in a post on Twitter Saturday. “I also want to thank the Memphis Police Department for their quick and proactive action in ensuring that all participants returned home safely.”
An exterior view shows the Fedex forum in Memphis, Tennessee on April 19, 2022.
Justin Ford/Getty Images, FILE
Yo Gotti’s concert ended several hours before officers responded to Hyman’s apartment a few blocks from the arena.
Officers first responded to Hyman’s apartment around 2:45 a.m. Saturday to an “armed mental consumer call,” according to the police statement. Hyman was taken into custody after police spoke to him and his girlfriend, officials said.
“Officers have been advised that since Hyman’s relationship with his girlfriend was coming to an end, he wanted to kill himself and anyone he saw coming from an event at the FedExForum,” Memphis police said in a statement. a statement.
Elijah Hyman, 28, was charged with committing the act of terrorism after threatening a mass shooting in Memphis, Tennessee on July 17, 2022.
Memphis Police Department
Police say Hyman was detained and handcuffed before being taken to hospital for a mental evaluation and being treated for a cut on his hand he suffered from a shattered window in his residence , authorities said.
The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has been contacted about the incident, police said.
Yo Gotti, who was born and raised in Memphis, began hosting his annual birthday concert in 2012. The concert was canceled in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During Friday’s sold-out performance, which was streamed live online, the rapper, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper, started the concert by telling the crowd, “My town! Let’s go!”
