National Guard members have deployed to Memphis as part of a Trump administration task force since September. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
Tennessee authorities are investigating the fatal shooting of a 20-year-old man by two members of the National Guard, deployed to Memphis as part of a task force formed by President Donald Trump.
The incident occurred around 4 a.m. CDT Sunday near the intersection of Ida B. Wells Avenue and Union Avenue in downtown Memphis.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation identified the slain suspect as Tyrin Johnson.
According to the TBI, Memphis police officers were chasing Johnson, allegedly armed with a handgun, when National Guard soldiers on patrol nearby joined the foot pursuit.
“For reasons under investigation, the situation escalated, resulting in two National Guard soldiers firing upon Johnson, striking and killing him,” the TBI said in a statement.
“No law enforcement officers were hurt in the incident.”
In a separate statement, the Memphis Police Department, which did not name the suspect, said officers had been responding to a call of shots fired, arriving to find several people leaving the area.
Officers saw a male, armed with a handgun, who fled on foot, prompting the officers to pursue him “with assistance from Tennessee National Guard soldiers assigned to the area,” the police department said.
“During the pursuit, the male turned toward NG members with his weapon. Tennessee National Guard soldiers discharged their weapons, striking the male,” who was pronounced dead at the scene, the law enforcement agency said.
The investigation was being led by the TBI at the request of District Attorney General Steve Mulroy.
The National Guard soldiers were deployed to Memphis as part of the Memphis Safe Task Force, an operation that began in September under a Trump executive order aimed at curbing violent crime in the city through “hyper-vigilant policing, aggressive prosecution, complex investigations, financial enforcement and large-scale saturation of besieged neighborhoods with law enforcement personnel.”
The U.S. Marshals Service last month announced that the task force had made more than 10,000 arrests in its roughly nine months of operation.
It is at least the fourth officer-involved shooting in Memphis involving the task force, following two in May and one in October. According to statements from the TBI, task force members were participating in operations in which suspects were shot by federal law enforcement. In the third shooting, it was not clear which agency had opened fire.
The Sunday shooting has angered some local politicians and critics opposed to the task force.
“It is not okay, it should not be normalized that the United States military is killing American citizens on U.S. soil,” state Rep. Justin Pearson said in a video statement, calling on Memphis Mayor Paul Young to end the city’s cooperation with the “Memphis Unsafe Task Force” and Gov. Bill Lee to “send the National Guard home where they belong.”
Pearson, a Democrat running for a U.S. House seat, said Johnson had been taking classes at Tennessee State University.
“The reason that I’ve been against the occupation since day one is because we knew this would happen,” he said, accusing the Trump administration of sending the National Guard to gain control of Memphis and other Democratic-led cities.
“It has been from day one a racist project by the president of the United States to take over cities like Memphis and Chicago,” he said.
“We want investment, not occupation.”
State Senate Minority Leader Raumesh Akbari and Senate Democratic Caucus Chairwoman London Lamar, who both represent portions of Memphis, demanded a “clear and transparent accounting” of the shooting.
“Tyrin Johnson was just 20 years old — a young father and a student with his whole life ahead of him,” they said in a statement, calling for body camera and surveillance video to be made public.
“As his family mourns this heartbreaking loss, they deserve clear answers about the circumstances surrounding his death.”
Young issued a statement following the shooting on Sunday, stating Memphis had celebrated Fourth of July “safely and successfully.”
“This unfortunate incident occurred around 4 a.m., well after all festivities had concluded,” Young said in a statement to local media.
“The incident is under investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and we will allow that process to conclude before making additional comments.”
Trump has ordered, authorized or sought to deploy the National Guard to at least six Democratic-led cities, including Los Angeles, Washington, Memphis and Portland, among others.
Fourth of July celebrations around the U.S.
The Empire State Building is lit in red, white and blue as the Macy’s 4th of July fireworks light up the night sky in New York City on July 4, 2026. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
