MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Two men in Memphis are facing charges after an incident where a victim was shot in his back and a car was stolen on Wednesday at the Save Market in the Hollywood neighborhood, according to a Shelby County affidavit.
Thirty-year-old Royce Newsome now faces the following charges: carjacking, employing a firearm to commit a felony, criminal attempt in first degree murder, convicted felon in possession of a handgun, conspiracy-aggravated robbery, aggravated robbery and possession of a prohibited weapon.
Alvin Anthony, 28, faces charges in carjacking, employ firearm with intent to commit felony, criminal attempt of first degree murder, conspiracy-aggravated robbery, aggravated robber and tampering with/fabricating evidence.
A third suspect is mentioned in the affidavit, but the Memphis Police Department (MPD) did not disclose whether or not that suspect has been caught by press time. ABC24 will update this article as more information becomes available.
Police were told that the victim was walking to his 2022 Honda HRV after using the ATM machine inside the Save Market when someone attacked him from behind, according to the affidavit. The affidavit also states that two other people then entered the victim's Honda.
One of them fired a shot at the victim, which hit him in the back, according to the affidavit. One of these people was wearing a plain white T-shirt and black "skinny" jeans," according to the affidavit.
The same day, the affidavit states that investigators found video surveillance footage of the incident and observed a red Honda Accord with a missing front bumper circling the area multiple times before the incident with a black Nissan Altima doing the same — also missing a front bumper and a bullet defect in the gas cap.
Video also showed someone getting out of the passenger side of the red Honda at the corner of Hollywood and Heard right where the suspects approached the victim, according to the affidavit.
Both of these cars drove away at a high rate of speed right before the incident, according to the affidavit. All three suspects were armed with guns, according to the affidavit.
The affidavit refers to a vehicle that was recovered and a safe containing $120,000 had been taken out of the vehicle, but officers were reportedly able to recover the safe with its contents still inside.
On Thursday, more video surveillance was seen by investigators and the red Honda Accord was seen to be following the victim from one business to another from the day of the incident, according to the affidavit.
The driver of the red Honda was seen following the victim into a business, making a phone call and then immediately exiting the business, according to the affidavit.
Austin Peay Task Force Officers told Violent Crimes unit that the red Honda Accord and the black Nissan Altima were at 1522 Paullus and then officers saw a person driving the Nissan Altima as it pulled into the driveway, according to the affidavit.
This man was detained and identified as Royce Newsome, according to the affidavit. He was taken to the Violent Crimes Unit office and was wearing the same white T-shirt and black "skinny" jeans as seen in the video of the incident at Save Market, according to the affidavit.
The driver of the red Honda was identified as Alvin Anthony and he also was taken to the Violent Crimes Unit office, according to the second affidavit. Investigators saw that Alvin was the same person seen on video surveillance following the victim on the day of the incident at Save Market, according to the second affidavit.
Newsome waived his Miranda Rights and told investigators that he was the owner of the black Nissan Altima, according to the affidavit. The affidavit also states that he gave consent for investigators to view his phone records, which revealed him to be on the scene of the incident.
He also had photos of the same gun as what was seen on surveillance video of the incident, according to the affidavit.
The affidavit also states that Newsome was a convicted felon who entered a guilty plea in September of 2018. The plea included criminal attempt voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, convicted felon in possession of a firearm and employment of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony, according to the affidavit.