72-year-old woman shot during purse snatching expected to recover

MEMPHIS, TN (WMC) - Two men shot a 72-year-old woman during a purse snatching in Whitehaven, according to Memphis Police Department.

Eula Ellis was shot on Charles Drive near the intersection of Elvis Presley Boulevard and East Raines Road just after 5 a.m.

Ellis was on her way to the bus stop to get to her shift at St. Francis Hospital when she was robbed and shot in the hip.

She was taken to Regional Medical Center and is expected to be OK.

"I worry about it every morning because I wake up and think about, you know, her walking by herself," said Ellis' daughter, Karen Clay.

Catching the number 42 bus has been part of Ellis' morning routine for the past several years. It's the 72-year-old woman's ride to get her to work at St. Francis hospital by 7 a.m.

"She never had any problems going to the bus stop," Clay said. "She's been catching buses for years and nobody never bothered her."

The two suspects were in a dark-colored Jeep-style vehicle, according to investigators. They have not been identified and remain at large.

"How much money you thought she had in her purse catching the bus?" Clay said. "The way things are, ain't nobody walking around with money."

Clay said her mother doesn't carry much in her purse. Typically, you'd find her medication, house keys, her lunch, and bus fare.

"It makes me angry because you know, why would you target an old lady?" Clay said. "She feels kind of lucky that she could have been killed. So she knows that she is blessed."

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