The President and CEO of the Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce was killed on Thursday night in a shooting on South Front Street in Downtown Memphis.

The death of Philip H. Trenary, 64, was confirmed by the Chamber and Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland.

UPDATING: What we know about the shooting

"Like many of you, I'm shocked at the senseless loss of tone of Phil Trenary, a leader in our community," My thoughts are with his family and chamber colleagues, "Strickland said.

more: Phil Trenary killed: Tennessee leaders react to Memphis Chamber of Commerce

more: The 9:01: What Chamber CEO Phil's Trenary's slaying means for Memphis

Sometime before 8 p.m., Memphis police responded to the shooting at 579 South Front St.

Police described a suspect with a black man with dreadlocks, wearing a blue shirt and driving a white four-door Ford F150.

At the time of the shooting, the Chamber was hosting its annual 4-mile race, Move it to Memphis, at nearby Loflin Yard.

Memphis business and civic leaders with Trenary's death.

"Phil was not only a giant business, but he was really part of the heart and soul of the business community. He said, "Carolyn Hardy, Past Chairwoman of the Memphis Chamber and CEO of Chism Hardy Investments. "The loss to this community is huge. It will be felt in every section, whether philanthropic, educational or business. He was a true visionary and he really believed in who we could become. "

Michael Ugwueke, CEO of Methodist Healthcare Happiness, called Trenary a leader in the community and said his loss will reverberate throughout the region.

"This is completely senseless," Ugwueke said. "He believed in Memphis. I can not believe this has happened. I do not think we can easily see this tragedy. "

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Trenary has led the chamber since 2014, three years after stepping down as president and CEO of Pinnacle Airlines Corp.

Trenary founded Exec Express Airlines, which would become Lone Star Airlines, in Oklahoma in 1984 and came to Memphis in 1997 to run a $ 1 billion, 7,700-employee regional airline operator.

After he left Pinnacle in 2011, Trenary, an Oklahoma native, led EmergeMemphis, an incubator for entrepreneurs and startup businesses, when it was between permanent directors, and he consulted for University of Memphis interim president Brad Martin on projects that included a College of Education Audubon Park from the city.

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris noted Trenary's contributions to the city.

PHIL TRENARY KILLED: Tennessee leaders react to Memphis Chamber of Commerce

Gov. Bill Haslam was among those condemned to the Trenary family.

"Our hearts go to his family and his associates and the Memphis community.

Tennessee Rep. Antonio Parkinson said he had just spoken to Trenary on Wednesday.

"Sometimes you have those friends that you have learned with, from mutual respect and love for," Parkinson said.

"Now you're gone."

Darrell Cobbins, a Memphis Chamber worker, current Chamber Member and President of Universal Commercial Real Estate in Memphis, recalled that Trenton was a special leader who recruited Cobbins to get involved with the Chamber six years ago.

"When he became chairman, he asked me to come back and be on board, which I considered a huge honor. He also asked me to get involved with the Chairman's Circle, which is one of the highest honors you can have. That is a testament to his leadership that he thought he would add value to the missions and goals of the Chamber.

"Most importantly, he was open to input and dialogue from people who might not be the typical business perspective," Cobbins said. "He was open. He was inclusive and really cared about the welfare of this community. If you were a person of integrity, worked hard and cared about Memphis, he wanted to connect with you to move Memphis forward.

"As much as he was the quintessential CEO, he was also a driven, community-minded leader," Cobbins added. "Phil wanted what was best for the community. He was good at balancing the interests of multi-million-dollar corporations and the needs of regular people. That's really where the rubber meets the road "for a Chamber leader.

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