MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A shooting that injured four young children and their father on a Memphis interstate Tuesday started with road rage over a lane merge.
That’s the possible motive laid out by police in a report for one of the men accused in that attack, 21-year-old Kendrick Ray.
“At this point in the investigation, it appears to be a random road-rage-incident,” Assistant Police Chief Don Crowe said.
Ray and co-defendant Lorenzo Watson, 18, appeared for a brief court hearing Thursday. Both men face a long list of charges including six counts of attempted first-degree murder. Ray entered a not guilty plea.
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Two 3-year-old twins, a 2-year-old and an 8-year-old, and their 30-year-old father, were taken by Good Samaritans to the hospital with critical injuries after the shooting.
A police affidavit states that the victims’ Chevy Malibu tried to merge onto Interstate 240 from the Mount Moriah Road exit, but were blocked by a Mitsubishi SUV that refused to allow them to merge.
The father who was driving the Malibu told police that when he was able to get into a lane, the SUV began driving erratically and approached the driver’s side of the Malibu.
4 children, 1 adult hurt in I-240 shooting
The victim rolled down his window and “made a hand gesture asking the occupants why they were driving in such a manner,” the report states.
That’s when the SUV slowed down and moved to the passenger side of the vehicle. Someone inside pulled out a rifle and fired multiple times, riddling the Malibu with bullets.
Two brothers say they were driving behind the Malibu when the gunmen opened fire. They sprang into action when they saw a man get out of the car in front of them yelling for help.
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One of the children was shot five times, another twice in the stomach and another lost two fingers.
Two suspects, Ray and Watson, were arrested and charged after a chase that led police to Raleigh.
During Thursday’s court hearing, a judge waived a bond hearing for Ray, who is also accused of a carjacking and assault on June 3.
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Wednesday, the Shelby County District Attorney announced that he is seeking to revoke Ray’s bond. At the time of the interstate shooting, Ray was out on a $500 bond set by a judicial commissioner from a previous arrest.
“Obviously Mr. Ray is a danger to the community and he needs to be kept off the streets,” Crowe said.
Crowe also said the father of the children had been released from the hospital Thursday, and two children were close to being released.
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