An argument at a Church’s Chicken drive-thru in Memphis, Tennessee intensified into a fatal shooting on Monday night, July 8, 2024, leaving an employee dead and the community in shock. Memphis police are actively searching for the suspect, a woman with purple hair who fled the scene in a teal-colored SUV.
The incident occurred just before 9 p.m. at the Park Avenue location, about six miles southeast of downtown Memphis. Officers responded quickly and found the employee, later identified as Anitra West, suffering from a gunshot wound. West was transported to Regional One Health, where she was pronounced dead upon arrival.
According to the Memphis Police Department, the altercation began over an order at the drive-thru window. West and the suspect exchanged heated words before the suspect drove off in the SUV. West then stepped outside to get some air, and moments later, a gunshot was heard. Surveillance footage captured the teal SUV speeding away from the scene.
“This is not the way it’s supposed to go,” said Loranzo West, Anitra’s ex-husband. “Anitra was a shining light and a beautiful soul. I am a better man because of her.” The couple co-parented their 12-year-old daughter despite their divorce in 2021.
Britney Thornton, a Shelby County Commissioner, and Orange Mound native expressed her concerns about the rising violence in the community. “If you are upset with someone, angry with someone, if you are frustrated with someone, it should never get to the point where you are stalking them at their job and ultimately murdering them. Your life isn’t worth more than that,” Thornton said.
Church’s Chicken expressed their grief and support for West’s family: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of one of our team members. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their family during this difficult time. We are working closely with the Memphis Police Department on their ongoing investigation,” a company spokesperson said.
West, 48, worked at the Church’s Chicken location for about a year. The restaurant will remain closed for several days as the company addresses the needs of the victim’s family and employees. The police have located the suspect’s vehicle, but no arrests have been made.
“It’s important for us to assemble and communicate what we need. We know these incidents are beneath us, and we need to speak up about the community that we will have,” Shelby County Commissioner Thornton emphasized.
The search for West’s killer continues as Memphis Police and the local community rally together in the wake of this heartbreaking event.