Two Tennessee National Guard members fatally shot 20-year-old Tyrin Johnson during a downtown Memphis pursuit on Sunday. The soldiers, part of a federal crime-fighting task force, opened fire after Johnson turned toward them with a handgun following reports of gunshots around 4 a.m.
The Pursuit and Death of Tyrin Johnson
The incident began in the early morning hours when Memphis police and National Guard soldiers responded to reports of shots fired in the downtown district. According to NPR, officers spotted an armed male carrying a handgun who then fled on foot.
What followed was a rapid escalation. Memphis police stated the suspect turned toward NG members with his weapon, prompting two soldiers to discharge their firearms. Johnson was struck and pronounced dead at the scene. Lt. Col Darrin Haas, a spokesperson for the National Guard, confirmed that two medical specialists attempted to provide first aid before Johnson succumbed to his injuries.
“For reasons under investigation, the situation escalated, resulting in two National Guard soldiers firing upon Johnson, striking and killing him,”
— Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
The tragedy has left Johnson’s family questioning the necessity of the force used. His older cousin, Terracle Nelson, told The Associated Press that Johnson was a construction worker and university student who had recently become a father.
“I just want to know how they shot a 20-year-old twice in the chest — he hadn’t harmed anyone,”
— Terracle Nelson
Court records in Nashville and Memphis indicate that Johnson had a handful of minor traffic violations.
The Memphis Safe Task Force and Federal Intervention
The soldiers involved are part of the Memphis Safe Task Force, a federal initiative established by President Donald Trump. To support this effort, Republican Governor Bill Lee deployed the National Guard to the city.
The deployment has been a flashpoint for political and legal conflict. Democratic officials, including Memphis Mayor Paul Young, opposed the troops. Local officials even sued to block the deployment, arguing it violated the Tennessee Constitution’s limits on military force. While a lower court initially granted a temporary injunction, a state appeals court overturned that decision in April, allowing the patrols to continue.
According to the U.S. Marshals Service, the operation has led to more than 10,000 arrests.
TBI data reveals a pattern of violence linked to the task force:
The TBI and National Guard have not yet confirmed if this is the first time soldiers have fired their weapons since the October deployment.
Conflicting Narratives on Memphis Crime Rates
Data from the FBI supports the claim that the city has one of the highest violent crime rates in the U.S. However, VinNews reports that Memphis police observed overall crime and violent crime rates falling in 2025 before the National Guard deployment began.
Mayor Paul Young described the shooting as an unfortunate incident.
Legal Fallout and Next Steps
The investigation into Johnson’s death is now in the hands of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), acting at the request of Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy. The TBI is currently collecting evidence and conducting interviews to determine the exact sequence of events.
For now, the city remains under the watch of the Memphis Safe Task Force, while the family of a 20-year-old father waits for an answer as to why a foot pursuit ended in two shots to the chest.
