Memphis, Tenn. – Tyrin Johnson was allegedly armed and fatally shot by Tennessee National Guard. A state national guard is a state-run militia with the backing of the federal Department of Defense. Training for lethal combat is provided for 10 weeks long, otherwise known as Basic Combat Training (BCT) or basic, in simpler terms.
During this training, soldiers are required to pass qualifications for weapons using deadly force. Soldiers also train in multiple formats of warfare and historically have not been trained for home-soil operations.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said they are investigating the deadly shooting which happened near Ida B. Wells Avenue shortly before 4 a.m.
Memphis police state they were responding to shots fired in the vicinity, encountering several people leaving the scene. Police allege one of those people was Tyrin, carrying a gun. Local PD began a pursuit, where soldiers assigned part of a federal task force established by President Donald Trump to combat crime in Memphis fired shots.
The TBI alleges Tyrin turned toward the soldiers, leading to the soldiers using lethal force.
Tyrin Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene after efforts from soldiers to provide life-saving support failed.
At the order of Republican Gov. Bill Lee. Soldiers were deployed in October 2025. State and local leaders have filed suit to block the deployment of soldiers, claiming the deployment of U.S. troops on American soil violates the Tennessee Constitution on when the Governor is allowed to deploy troops.
Davidson County Chancellor Patricia Head Moskal initially blocked the deployment, but the judgement has since been appealed in April 2026.
This story is developing
