Texas father shot several times over parking dispute

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Texas father is thankful to be alive after getting shot while visiting Railgarten last week.

A disagreement over parking turned into what police are calling an attempted murder.

“When I turned around I realized he stopped, got out the car, and came down with the gun on me,” said Corey Coleman. “I didn’t expect it to go like that.”

In pain and barely able to move, Coleman says he’s thankful he can spend another day with his family. He was one of the people shot outside Railgarten a week ago.

“Shots in the rib, the back, stomach. I got staples all the way across. Whole back ate up here and the back of the head,” said Coleman.

30-year-old Detawn Gunn faces numerous charges in connection to the shooting including five counts of attempted second-degree murder.

Coleman says he and his family are from Dallas and are temporarily staying in Memphis for his job. He says they were trying to enjoy a night out as a family when the incident happened.

Coleman says the shooting stemmed from an argument between him and another man over a parking spot that he says he paid for.

“He was like ‘I’m waiting for this car to leave.’ I was like ‘That’s my son. They’re already parking. I just paid for that parking spot,'” said Coleman.

He says things quickly took a turn when he tried to explain that the spot was taken.

“He was telling me ‘Don’t speak to me.’ He’s a killer or something like that. Of course, I’m like ‘What are you talking about?'” Coleman said.

Coleman says that’s when the unthinkable happened.

“He pulled out the gun the first time and I had my 14-year-old next to me. I said ‘Man, let’s go.’ So, as we moved, he drove toward the exit like he was going to go and then I heard the people from behind say ‘He got a gun.’ Like, he was getting out the car and that’s when he started trying to come down on me,” he said.

Coleman says while his son got away safely, he was shot multiple times by birdshot rounds.

Memphis Police say several bystanders were also hit.

As the suspect drove off, Coleman’s older son says he followed the gunmen hoping to get a tag number.

“After I had followed him and called the police and got the license plate, I hung up and I was about to turn around. I ran into him again. That’s when he had shot at me,” said Coleman’s son. “I almost wrecked out.”

After days on the run, MPD says they used the tag number to track down the vehicle and eventually connect it to Gunn.

Coleman says his only focus is on recovering.

“I just want to get better. I’m alive, so I’m thankful,” he said.

Gunn is due in court for an initial appearance on Friday morning.

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