Photo: Getty Images
Two Tennessee National Guard soldiers deployed to patrol Memphis streets shot and killed a 20-year-old man during a foot pursuit in the early hours of Sunday morning (July 5), in what is believed to be the first fatal shooting by Guard troops under President Trump's Memphis Safe Task Force.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation identified the victim as Tyrin Johnson and said it has opened an independent investigation at the request of the Shelby County District Attorney's Office.
According to the TBI, Memphis police officers were responding to a shots-fired call near Ida B. Wells Avenue and Union Avenue in downtown Memphis around 4 a.m. when they spotted Johnson carrying a handgun. He fled on foot.
Memphis police said Johnson "turned toward NG members with his weapon" during the chase, at which point two soldiers fired, per NPR.
Johnson was struck and pronounced dead at the scene.
Two Guard medical specialists reportedly attempted first aid. No officers or soldiers were injured.
Johnson was a Nashville resident who had been working in construction, taking classes at Tennessee State University, and had just welcomed his first child earlier this year, according to his cousin, Terracle Nelson, per the Associated Press.
"I just want to know how they shot a 20-year-old twice in the chest — he hadn't harmed anyone,” Nelson told the outlet.
Tennessee Senate Minority Leader Raumesh Akbari and Senate Democratic Caucus Chairwoman London Lamar, both of whom represent Memphis districts, issued a joint statement Monday (July 6) demanding "a clear and transparent accounting" of the circumstances surrounding Johnson's death."
"Tyrin Johnson was just 20 years old — a young father and a student with his whole life ahead of him," the statement said, per the Tennessee Lookout.
The lawmakers are also calling for the release of available body camera and surveillance footage.
The Memphis Safe Task Force was established in October 2025 after Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee deployed National Guard soldiers to patrol the city's streets alongside local police under a Trump executive action.
The deployment has faced ongoing legal challenges. The ACLU filed a lawsuit against the task force in May 2026, alleging a "startling pattern" of First Amendment violations, per the Tennessee Lookout.
The TBI said its investigation is ongoing. No charges have been filed.
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