Memphis Incident Involving National Guard Results in Fatality

Members of the National Guard were on patrol in Memphis on October 11, 2025. Memphis police reported that early Sunday morning, National Guard troops fired their weapons, resulting in the death of an armed individual.

Police responded to reports of gunfire in downtown Memphis just before 4 a.m. Upon arriving, they observed a male carrying a handgun. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) identified the person as 20-year-old Tyrin Johnson. He attempted to flee on foot, pursued by both Memphis police officers and Tennessee National Guard soldiers.

Details regarding the sequence of events remain unclear. The TBI stated, “For reasons under investigation, the situation escalated, resulting in two National Guard soldiers firing upon Johnson, striking and killing him.” Memphis police noted that Johnson “turned toward NG members with his weapon” before the soldiers opened fire. Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene. No injuries were reported among law enforcement officers.

TBI agents are “working to independently determine the series of events leading to the shooting, including collecting evidence and conducting interviews,” the agency said.

The National Guard began their patrols in Memphis in October of the previous year. This move was part of a federal task force, initiated by President Trump, aimed at combating crime in the city. Data from the FBI highlight Memphis as one of the cities with the highest violent crime rates nationwide. However, Memphis police indicated that overall crime rates, including violent crime, were decreasing in 2025, even before the deployment of the National Guard.

Despite the decline, some local residents supported the federal intervention. On the other hand, Democratic state and local officials filed a lawsuit to block the troop deployment. They contended that the initiative infringed upon the Tennessee Constitution’s constraints on the governor’s authority to deploy state military forces. A Tennessee judge initially issued a temporary injunction to halt the deployment. Nevertheless, a state appeals court later overturned this decision in April, allowing the operation to proceed.

The investigation into the shooting will be conducted by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation at the request of Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy.