A Tennessee judge Monday ordered a mental exam for a man who police said was planning a mass shooting of people leaving a downtown rap concert memphis.
Elijah Hyman went ahead a Shelby County Judges on 30 counts of attempted murder and 30 other counts of possession of a firearm in the commission of a dangerous crime, court documents showed.
General Sessions Judge S. Ronald Lucchesi ordered Hyman held without bail. Lucchesi also ordered an investigation to determine his mental status at the time of the alleged crime and to determine whether Hyman can participate in his own defense, the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement.
According to a police affidavit, Hyman was arrested early Saturday when he told police he planned to shoot concert-goers exiting the FedEx Forum in the historic Beale Street entertainment district in Memphis. That Yeah Gotti and Friends: The Birthday Bash took place there on Friday evening.
police Hyman said he was desperate to break up with his girlfriend. At his home, officers found a window overlooking the arena was broken and binoculars and a rifle loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition were nearby, the affidavit said. The rifle had a magnifying glass and a silencer attached to it, police said.
Hyman told police he wanted to “shoot as many people as possible. Just like on TV,” the affidavit reads.
Leslie Ballin, Hyman’s attorney, said Hyman asked the police for help.
“He was in crisis,” Ballin said, according to WREG-TV.
Hyman’s next hearing was scheduled for August 8th.
“He will remain in custody, he will not ask to be released on bail,” Ballin said. “This is for his safety and, above all, the safety of the community.”
