Cordova woman found dead from gunshot

Neighbors ‘shocked’ by fatal shooting

In Cordova’s Walnut Grove Lake area Saturday night, neighbors walked dogs, rode bikes and strolled.

It seemed the perfect end to a normal summer day.

But a fatal shooting broke that calm Saturday morning when a woman was found fatally shot in the 8400 block of Bazemore Road in Cordova.

Officers responded to a call of shots fired at about 8 a.m. said Memphis police Sgt. Karen Rudolph.

“The victim was pronounced deceased on the scene,” Rudolph said.

Police on Sunday have identified the victim as Susan McDonald.

Walnut Grove Lake neighbors remained in the dark about what happened, but say they still feel safe.

Jim Walsmith, who lives down the street from the victim’s house, did not hear a gunshot, but heard sirens as he was getting ready to go outside to get yard work done.

When he stepped out, he noticed the yellow crime-scene tape, and walked over to stand with some of his neighbors.

He said he did not know the victim personally, but said he would speak to her if she was out when he passed the house while walking his dog.

“There’s a shocking disregard for human life,” Walsmith said of the recent shootings nationally and citywide.

“I don’t know where it comes from or how to stop it, but we have to stop it.”

Sandra McCorry, coordinator of the Walnut Grove Lake Neighborhood Watch, said it’s too soon to determine if the shooting will spur changes to the watch groups to increase safety.

However, she said that she has never heard of such an incident in that neighborhood, and the area is usually safe.

“We just try to be as vigilant for our neighborhood as possible,” McCorry said.

“We’re all just shocked. There’s more unknown than there is known.”

The neighborhood watch is made up of 37 block captains, each reporting anything of concern to McCorry.

Although some of the areas are not covered by a block captain, the 8400 block of Bazemore Road was covered, according to McCorry.