State investigators are reviewing the shooting, which involved soldiers assigned to the Memphis Safe Task Force.
MEMPHIS, TN — Two Tennessee National Guard soldiers fatally shot a 20-year-old man early Sunday during a downtown foot pursuit after Memphis police responded to reports of gunfire, state and local authorities said.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation identified the man as Tyrin Johnson and said agents are investigating the circumstances that led to the shooting. The case places new attention on the Memphis Safe Task Force, a federal and local public safety effort that has included National Guard patrols in the city since last year. No law enforcement officers were injured, officials said.
The shooting happened at about 4 a.m. Sunday near Ida B. Wells Avenue and Union Avenue, a downtown area close to hotels, nightlife and AutoZone Park. Memphis police said officers were responding to a shots-fired call near Ida B. Wells Avenue and Gayoso Avenue when they saw several people leaving the area. Officers then saw a man with a handgun, later identified as Johnson, and he ran, police said. Tennessee National Guard soldiers assigned nearby joined the pursuit. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said the case escalated for reasons still under review, and two soldiers fired at Johnson, striking and killing him.
Memphis police said Johnson turned toward National Guard members with his weapon during the chase. The TBI, which is leading the independent investigation, has not made a final finding on what happened in the moments before the soldiers fired. The agency said agents are collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses before sending findings to 30th Judicial District Attorney General Steve Mulroy for review. The TBI said it serves as a fact-finding agency in officer-involved shooting cases and does not decide whether an officer’s or soldier’s use of force was justified.
Tennessee National Guard officials said two Guard medical specialists tried to give Johnson first aid after the shooting, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities did not immediately release the soldiers’ names or say how many total shots were fired. Johnson’s older cousin, Terracle Nelson, told reporters that family members were told he had been shot twice in the chest. The TBI declined to comment on that account Sunday. Johnson’s grandfather, Evaniel Johnson, said his grandson had taken classes at Tennessee State University, was the father of a young child and was preparing to help with the family construction business.
Johnson’s family said they wanted to see the full investigation, including any video, before drawing conclusions about the shooting. “I believed in him, and I know he still had so much life ahead of him,” Evaniel Johnson said. “The heartbreaking reality is that he will never have the chance to enjoy what we were building together.” A search of federal and state court records did not immediately show serious criminal cases tied to Johnson. Local court records in Memphis and Nashville showed only several minor traffic matters.
The soldiers were assigned to the Memphis Safe Task Force, a public safety effort created by President Donald Trump and supported by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee. The effort brought federal agents and National Guard soldiers into Memphis as part of a crime-fighting patrol plan. Memphis Mayor Paul Young, a Democrat, had objected to the deployment. In a statement after Sunday’s shooting, Young called it an unfortunate incident and said officials would wait for the TBI review before making further comments. He said Fourth of July events across Memphis had ended safely before the shooting occurred hours later.
The task force has drawn praise from supporters who say it has helped remove violent suspects from the streets and criticism from opponents who say federal troops should not patrol local neighborhoods. The U.S. Marshals Service reported in June that the task force had led to more than 10,000 arrests. TBI data has tied at least four officer-involved shootings to the task force, including two in May that did not involve National Guard members firing weapons. The agency also linked the task force to a shooting in October but did not name which agencies were involved.
Memphis has struggled for years with high violent crime, including homicides, assaults and carjackings, though officials from both parties have cited drops in some crime categories. The National Guard deployment continued after an April ruling by the Tennessee Court of Appeals, which said state and local Democratic officials did not have standing to block federal troop activity in the city. The ruling did not end public debate over the Guard’s role, especially in patrols that place soldiers beside local police during fast-moving street encounters.
Investigators remained in the downtown area for hours Sunday. Action News 5 reported that crews saw TBI agents near Fourth Street and Union Avenue later in the morning. Nearby resident Jefferson Minton, who said he had been in the area the night before, said the shooting reflected the danger of armed confrontations in crowded parts of downtown. “He put his life at risk, and he put others’ lives at risk as well,” Minton said. Authorities have not said whether other people who left the area when police arrived are being sought or interviewed.
The TBI investigation remains open, and findings will be sent to Mulroy’s office for review. Officials have not announced a date for the release of investigative records, video or a charging decision.
Author note: Last updated July 6, 2026.