Two Tennessee National Guard members fatally shot 20-year-old Tyrin Johnson in Memphis on Sunday while patrolling as part of President Trump’s Memphis Safe Task Force, state officials confirmed.
The soldiers were on active assignment under the federally backed initiative when the shooting occurred. Investigators say Johnson was found with a handgun at the scene.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is handling the inquiry. No charges have been announced and the soldiers’ names have not been publicly released.
The Memphis Safe Task Force was stood up under Trump administration orders to deploy National Guard troops to Memphis to combat violent crime, one of several cities targeted under the program.
Johnson’s death marks the first reported fatal shooting by Guard members under the Memphis deployment. Local officials and community representatives have not issued formal public statements as of Sunday evening.
The TBI investigation is ongoing. A preliminary findings report is expected within days, with prosecutors then determining whether the shooting was justified under Tennessee law.