Second-year physics grad student Zainalabidin Kinnare wanted to hear the end of Taylor Swift and ZAYN’s “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever,†so he sat in his Toyota Corolla at the U of M parking lot near Southern Avenue and Goodman Street for awhile Wednesday night. He was then forced to give up his car at gunpoint.
Three suspects obtained Kinnare’s vehicle with two silver handguns and a rifle, according to a police report from the Memphis Police Department. One man opened the unlocked driver door, asked Kinnare where his money was and then told the 23-year-old victim to get out of his car, according to the report. Kinnare complied with the demands and handed the suspect his wallet and cellular phone. The suspect responded by throwing the phone on the ground and saying, “we don’t need this,†according to the report. Then, all three suspects got into the vehicle and threw Kinnare’s backpack out of the window prior to fleeing the scene.
“It was kind of out of nowhere,†Kinnare said. “I was just sitting in my car listening to music — just waiting for the song to end. I was just going to do some work, but they opened my car door.â€
Kinnare was on his way from Avenue Coffee to Manning Hall to get his schoolwork done. The 2016 Toyota Carolla had been in his possession for only about a year, but it was his first car.
“It was kind of nice having a car for the first time after 22 years,†Kinnare said. “I’m pretty bummed out about it, and it had a good bit of stuff in the trunk.â€
The theft of Kinnare’s car marks the second robbery on campus in the last two months. In response to these instances, Derek Myers, interim chief of police at the U of M, advised students to be more vigilant.
“Unplug and be more mindful of your surroundings,†Myers said. “I’ve seen people step out into traffic and almost get hit by a car because they were glued to the phone.â€
The U of M has maintained a generally safe campus for the past few years, compared to other major Tennessee campuses. U of M had one on-campus robbery for the entirety of 2016, according to Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. East Tennessee State University saw four on-campus robberies and both Tennessee State University and Middle Tennessee State University saw two.
However, 18 students have been robbed and 14 were even carjacked during 2016 in areas surrounding U of M campus, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Between 2015 and 2016, crime on all Tennessee campuses rose 0.8 percent.
Myers said that police services are constantly looking for methods to enhance security on and around campus, such as adding lights to darker areas.
“Let us know if there is anything that looks out of the norm or suspicious,†Myers said.
He also suggested that students download the LiveSafe app, which was launched at the beginning of this month. The app has many features that help students stay connected to police services. Students can text and send pictures directly to campus security. There is also an escort feature that enables students to have a friend virtually watch as they walk to the car.
Myers also said that it is important that students never resist robbers during a robbery. In Kinnare’s case, one of the three suspects was wearing a red bandana. All of the suspects are between 18 and 21 years old, according to the police report from MPD.
“He did exactly what he was supposed to do Wednesday night,†Meyers said. “The man said ‘give me your things’ and the victim said ‘sure no problem.’ Property can be replaced.â€
 Kinnare said he does have insurance and hopes they will “hook him up†with a rental car soon. Myers said that the U of M police and MPD will continue to work together.
“Police services will continue to work with MPD to solve crimes because otherwise you’re likely to have repeats,†Myers said.
For now, Kinnare said that students should mostly “keep their cars closer to other cars,†“keep their doors locked†and urges students to be “more cautious of their environment.â€Â
