Memphis cop is in critical condition and one person is dead in shooting at a library

One person is dead and a police officer is in critical condition following a shooting at a library in Memphis.

Memphis police said they responded to a call at the Poplar-White Station library in East Memphis at 12.32pm, and pronounced one person dead at the scene.

An unnamed officer was also transported to a local hospital and is in ‘extremely critical condition.’

It remains unclear what led up to the shooting, which came just one day after police violence victim Tyre Nichols was laid to rest.

Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy has now requested the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation take up the investigaton.

Memphis police were on the scene of a Poplar-White Station library in East Memphis at 12.32pm, where an officer was shot. He was in ‘extremely critical condition’ Thursday afternoon

Witnesses on the scene said they heard five shots coming from inside the building

Witnesses on the scene said they heard five shots coming from inside the building Thursday afternoon.

Rubbie King, for example, told WREG she was in the library to use the internet for an interview.

When she turned the lights on in the conference room, she said she heard five shots fired inside the building.

At that point, King said she decided to look outside the conference room, where she saw a woman on the floor screaming, and a man coming over to her to help her get up and take cover. The woman was apparently not shot, she said. 

She said she did not see the shooter, but saw officers guarding someone on the floor, whom they told to remain still.