After 18 months of investigation, the Snappy Mart at 1351 Madison Ave. was shut down by Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy and Memphis Police Department Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis on Thursday, Dec. 7, in response to the rampant criminal activity on the property.

Mulroy, alongside Chief Davis, announced that 600 calls for service have been made to the property within the last two years, with 60 arrests being made this year alone. Drug and gun crimes were among the arrests, and there was even a homicide incident.

Thomas Hewgley, a real estate investor who owns buildings near the Snappy Mart, revealed that he had to take extra security measures to protect his properties from the rampant crime that spilled over from the convenience store.

Hewgley also shared that he and other business owners near the Snappy Mart had tried to contact the store owners before it was shut down, but they were met with dismissive responses from the owner’s attorney, who claimed that similar crime issues are common in the industry.

Mulroy stated that the Snappy Mart is only temporarily closed and may reopen with a conditional agreement between the DA’s office and the business owners. Some of the conditions might include connecting the store’s security cameras to MPD’s Real Time Crime Center for closer monitoring.

Hewgley acknowledged that the Snappy Mart has legal rights, but he expressed concern about the possibility of the business reopening. Mulroy reiterated that the goal of an agreement for reopening would be to ensure accountability and prevent the continuation of the rampant criminal activity.