Tag: Homicide

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Report: Firearms Are Leading Cause of Death in Tennessee Kids

A day after the March 27th mass shooting at The Covenant School, a woman is overcome with emotion in front of an impromptu memorial. (Photo: John Partipilo)

Children are dying at higher rates from gun violence in Tennessee than in the rest of the nation, an ongoing geographic disparity that has only widened in recent years, and one that most gravely impacts the state’s Black families, whose children and teens are being killed by firearms at twice the rate as white kids.

The data tracking child deaths in Tennessee between 2017 and 2021 was released as part of an annual report compiled by the Tennessee Department of Health with the assistance of district attorneys, child welfare advocates, elected officials, and other experts who regularly meet in teams to review the deaths of Tennessee kids year-round.

The report this year was released just ahead of a special legislative session called to address public safety after a lone assailant fired 152 rounds inside a Nashville Christian school, killing three nine-year-old children and three adults in less than 15 minutes, according to police.

The report focuses on all causes of child deaths among kids 17 and younger, finding that the overall mortality rate from all causes — accidents, suicides, premature births, other medical conditions and murder — in Tennessee is nearly twice the national average.

Gun deaths among children, however, have increased by significant rates; by 2021, Tennessee’s rates of firearm deaths among children were more than 36 percent more than the national average.

In 2021, the latest year analyzed, 67 Tennessee children died by homicide. Fifty-three of the victims were Black, a rate four times as high as white children.

“Child health is a critical indicator of a society’s well-being,” the report noted. The burdens of homicide among Tennessee children is higher among Blacks, males, and children aged 15 to 17, with firearms being the leading means of lethality.

The racial disparity is reversed when it comes to children and teens who died by suicide, with white children six times as likely to take their own lives. Suicides accounted for the deaths of 32 white children and five Black children between 2017 and 2021. More than half of all suicide deaths among Tennessee children (54 percent) were a result of firearms.

The report does not make specific recommendations, instead noting two “prevention opportunities”: promoting safer firearms handling and storage and programs encouraging parental supervision.

The prevention opportunities mirror the current GOP-driven legislative agenda for the special session, set to begin August 21st. While advocates for gun safety laws, among them parents of children who attend The Covenant School, have called for stricter background checks and other gun regulations, Gov. Bill Lee has set an agenda that includes unspecified recommendations for firearm staff storage.

The governor’s agenda, set forth in a proclamation also makes mention of protective orders, but other elected GOP leaders have made clear they will not consider any measures that would remove guns from any individuals.

2023 CFR Annual Report with Promulgation Statement

Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com. Follow Tennessee Lookout on Facebook and Twitter.

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Parents Indicted After Accidental Shooting

The office of Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich announced today that Latria Johnson, 28, and her boyfriend Lindsey Williams, 27, have been indicted on charges of criminally negligent homicide and reckless endangerment following the accidental shooting death of 9-year-old Xavier Jackson by his 13-year-old cousin, the son of the couple. 

District Attorney Amy Weirich

The shooting occurred in March at the Canterbury Woods Apartments near Cordova while the couple were out shopping.

Inside the apartment, the unnamed 13-year-old picked up his father’s loaded handgun from the master bedroom. The gun discharged accidentally striking Jackson in the face and killing him. The gun had been left unattended and unsecured.

The case is being handled by Stacy McEndree of the District Attorney’s Vertical Team 6, which prosecutes cases in General Sessions Division 15 and in Criminal Court Division 10.

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Surviving Victim, Investigators Speak on 2011 Homicide Cold Cases

Last week marked nine years since two women were found dead days apart in a South Memphis cemetery and a third barely escaped with her life. The killer is still on the loose.

On February 20, 2011, the body of 28-year-old Jessica Lewis was discovered by someone visiting a grave at Mt. Carmel Cemetery, at the corner of Elvis Presley Boulevard and Elliston Road. Four days later, the body of 44-year-old Rhonda Wells was found by a groundskeeper. Both women had prior arrests for prostitution. Both had been shot.

Jessica Lewis

On February 26th, the killer targeted another sex worker in the area, Katrina (last name withheld for anonymity), then 26 years old. Today, Katrina remembers the night she almost lost her life: The man pulled his car up to her, rolled down the window, and said something like, “You think you could handle this … ?” She says she declined his advances, and as she turned away, he fired his gun at her.

“It felt like half my face was gone,” Katrina says. “My ears were ringing. I just took off running.” As she ran, the man continued shooting. She zig-zagged to avoid the bullets, blood pouring from her face as she fled, and ran about four blocks before passerby saw her in distress. “I spit out a piece of the roof of my mouth,” she says. “There was so much blood.” The bullet entered behind her right ear and exited below her left eye.

Katrina was able to give police a description of the suspect, who she believed to be in his early-to-mid-20s, with braided hair, driving a dark Dodge Charger or Chrysler 300.

Investigators believe the three cases are connected. They retrieved shell casings linking two of the victims, as well as DNA samples from each crime scene. The DNA and ballistic information was entered into the system, but have not yet hit for a potential match.

A composite sketch of the suspect in the 2011 homicide cold cases

“Cases like this, where there are no eyewitnesses that we know of, they’re going to rise or fall on the DNA, and we’re hoping a match shows up in CODIS,” says Memphis Police Department (MPD) cold case investigator W.D. Merritt. “But we’re working on these cases. We have reinterviewed some of the people who were named back when this occurred. We’ve gone through photos of people who were arrested for rape or suspects in sex crimes in that area for that one-year period. We’ve looked at all the [firearms] and shell casings that were recovered during that time, and looked back at people who were arrested with guns.”

About a month ago, investigators submitted “something unusual” that was found at the murder scenes to the FBI’s ViCAP (Violent Criminal Apprehension Program). “They put that info in and distribute a report to police agencies nationwide to see if there have been other cases like that,” Merritt says, noting that this information cannot be disclosed. “That would be something that only someone who was there would know.”

While investigators continue to work the cases, Lewis’ mother, Susan Miller, still mourns. “I pretty much stopped living [when Jessica was killed],” Miller says. “She was my only child, and I still cry every day. Jessica left behind two sons. My heart is broken, as are theirs. I pray to God that the killer is found and brought to justice.”

“Jessica was my friend,” Katrina says. “If I could go back and trade places with her, I would. This needs to be solved — for the families and the people who loved Jessica and Rhonda. I’m blessed to still be here.”

Anyone with information on these cases is urged to call CrimeStoppers at 528-CASH or the MPD Cold Case voicemail line at 901-636-2653. Tips can be given anonymously.

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UPDATE: TBI’s Manhunt for Prison Escapee Continues

CREDIT: TBI

TBI

Gov. Bill Lee asks for public’s help at press conference

UPDATE: The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) has issued warrants for the West Tennessee inmate who escaped Wednesday and is still at large.

Curtis Watson, who has been added to TBI’s Most Wanted List, is being charged with first degree murder, especially aggravated burglary, and aggravated sexual battery.

Officials are offering a $52,000 reward for anyone with information that helps lead to Watson’s apprehension, arrest, and conviction.

TBI director David Rausch said Thursday that Watson “could be anywhere. We need Tennesseans, as well as partners in surrounding states, to be vigilant.”



TBI

Curtis Ray Watson

ORIGINAL POST: A day after Curtis Watson, a “dangerous fugitive” and person of interest in the homicide of a Tennessee correctional officer, escaped from a West Tennessee prison, law enforcement officials are still searching for him and asking the public to remain vigilant.

Watson, an inmate at the West Tennessee State Penitentiary in Henning, Tennessee, which is about 50 miles northeast of Memphis, is suspected to have played a role in the homicide of West Tennessee Correctional Administrator Debra Johnson, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) said Wednesday.

After Johnson was found dead in her residence at the penitentiary shortly before noon on Wednesday, a manhunt ensued for Watson when prison officials found him missing from his work detail as a farm laborer.

Officials believe there was foul play involved in the death of Johnson. TBI director David Rausch said Wednesday that special agents and forensic scientists would work through the night investigating the crime scene.

TBI also asked that the public remain vigilant: “If you see Watson, call 911. Do not approach. Stay vigilant!”

There have been “numerous” reports of sightings of Watson across the state, TBI tweeted Thursday morning, but there haven’t been any confirmed sightings. 

UPDATE: TBI’s Manhunt for Prison Escapee Continues

Watson is currently in the sixth year of a 15-year sentence for aggravated assault, according to the Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC). Watson was previously convicted of aggravated child abuse. His sentence for that expired in 2011.

TBI issued a Blue Alert Wednesday afternoon after Watson was found missing. The Blue Alert system, established in 2011, is reserved for alerting the public of violent criminals who kill or seriously injure law enforcement officers in the line of duty. The alerts are also used to aid in locating missing officers when foul play is involved.

The system is similar to AMBER Alerts. The Blue Alert for Watson was only the third since TBI began issuing them, according to the Bureau.

Before Watson, the most recent Blue Alert was issued in May 2018 for Steven Wiggins, who was a suspect in the fatal shooting of a Dickson County Sheriff’s Officer deputy.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

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News The Fly-By

Memphis 2016 Homicides By the Numbers

On March 28th, 22-year-old Reginald Burke was shot while driving near the I-240 North/I-40 East flyover, the apparent victim of a road rage incident between himself and Tarrance Dixon and Robert Chaney, both 21. Dixon and Chaney were charged with second-degree murder.

Burke was able to flag down another driver for help and was transported to the Regional One Health, where he eventually succumbed to his injury, making him the city’s 59th homicide victim.

Burke’s murder is one of 79 homicides in the city so far this year, a number that’s nearly double from 2015’s 47 homicides to date. According to statistics released in April by the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission, the murder rate was up 69 percent over 2015 and 43 percent over 2006 (the year the commission launched their Operation Safe Community crime-fighting plan).

Reginald Burke

Those high homicide numbers appear to be skewing the overall violent crime data, pushing citywide major violent crime up by 16 percent from January to March 2016 versus the same period in 2015. And homicides haven’t seemed to slow in April or May either.

“It is almost impossible to predict when a homicide will occur. There is no statistical data that will alert us when someone has made the decision to commit murder,” said MPD Interim Director Michael Rallings.

Of the 79 homicides so far, 55 of the murders have been solved by the MPD, 42 arrests have been made, and three warrants have been issued for suspects who remain at large. Four of the 79 homicides have been ruled as justified by the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office. In 34 of the 79 homicides, the victim and suspect knew one another. Only 11 of the 79 homicides are believed to be gang-related.

“By saying gang-related, I mean the suspect, victim, or both are known gang members, and the homicide occurred due to some type of gang activity,” Rallings said.

Rallings said 65 of the 79 murders to date involved firearms.

Memphis Gun Down, a program that launched in 2012 under former Mayor A C Wharton’s Innovate Memphis (formerly the Mayor’s Innovation Delivery Team), has made it a goal to reduce gun violence in the city. The program’s 901 Bloc Squad sends reformed gang members into high-crime areas in Frayser, Orange Mound, South Memphis, and the Mt. Moriah corridor to connect with those who are caught up in the gang lifestyle.

“They’re trying to show diplomacy and influence these young people who are gang-involved to put their guns down and resolve conflict in other ways,” said Memphis Gun Down Director Bishop Mays.

Memphis Gun Down also has a hospital intervention program at Regional One Health, through which they make contact with shooting victims to try and prevent any retaliatory crimes. Additionally, the program offers youth an outlet during the summer through its “twilight basketball” games in the above-mentioned target communities.

“We need to align our resources throughout the city. We can’t put everything on the backs of the police officers,” Mays said. “We’re in a state now where we must pay attention or we will lose a lot of youthful assets in our community. We need to not judge and be willing to reach out to those who will accept help.”

Rallings echoed Mays’ statement, saying that the police can’t curb violence without help from the community. At a press conference last week, Rallings urged citizens to alert police any time they see an altercation occurring or someone suspicious in their neighborhoods.

“It takes everybody working together to make this a safe community,” Rallings said. “People are waiting on the police to solve all these problems, but the police are just one aspect. The clergy, everyone in the educational system, and individuals in the community all play a part.”

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First Memphis Homicide Victim of 2013 Identified

On Wednesday, January 2nd, Memphis Police officers found an unidentified body in the trunk of an abandoned 2011 Mazda Millennium that was parked on Goodhaven Drive near the airport area.

That victim, considered the first homicide of the year, has been identified as 22-year-old Brian Henderson. According to police reports, Henderson suffered from an apparent gunshot wound. He was deceased when officers discovered his body.

Although the victim counts as the first murder of the year for statistical purposes, investigators believe Henderson was killed on December 30th in the area of Airways and Shelby Drive. A person of interest is in custody, but no charges have been filed yet.

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News The Fly-By

The Last 48?

Fans of A&E’s The First 48 love homicide detective Caroline Mason, the high-heeled star of the reality show’s Memphis episodes. More than a year after it ran in the Memphis Flyer, an interview with Mason still receives comments on the Flyer website on an almost weekly basis.

But Mason’s fans will be disappointed to learn that the Memphis Police Department (MPD) has suspended filming with the popular reality show. Filming of new cases was halted May 1st, and the crew is only allowed to finish filming cases they began shooting before the suspension.

“We can’t talk about why we’re suspending filming,” said Joe Scott, assistant commander of investigative services for the MPD. “There’s no hard feelings. Nothing happened that was wrong. There are reasons, but those are operational things that are not public.”

Even the producers of the show weren’t informed why they were asked to stop filming.

“All the feedback about the show has been really positive,” said Laura Fleury, executive producer of The First 48.

City councilwoman Wanda Halbert said the decision to halt filming may have stemmed from a discussion wth police director Larry Godwin during a recent council meeting. A few council members had questions about how the show could potentially tarnish the city’s image, Halbert said.

The city receives no monetary compensation for First 48.

“The show has been on for years. They could have at least put money in a victim’s fund,” Halbert said.

Scott said the department is leaving the door open to resume filming at a later date.

“There’s nothing written in stone to say they can’t come back,” Scott said. “That’s why we use the word ‘suspended.'”

Fleury hopes the suspension is only temporary: “We hope they will come back, because there is so much support for the show in the Memphis community and in the police department. We’ve heard that since the show began filming, people in Memphis are more inclined to work with police. They recognize the officers they see on TV.”

The First 48 features segments from 11 major cities and shows investigators solving and making arrests in homicide cases. The show began filming Memphis homicide investigations in 2005, during its third season. Two photojournalists are stationed in Memphis, and they follow detectives on nearly every case.

Cases are only shown on the program, however, when an arrest is made within the first 48 hours of the investigation.

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Q&A: Caroline Mason

On a recent episode of A&E’s The First 48, the camera zooms in on Detective Caroline Mason applying lip liner and sliding on stylish sunglasses.

“I gotta have my J.Lo glasses,” she says just before her Memphis Police Department (MPD) homicide team heads out to solve one of the city’s many murders.

On The First 48, a reality show in which investigators from a handful of major cities have 48 hours to arrest and charge homicide suspects, Mason is known as a chic investigator with a closet full of trendy clothing and too many shoes to count. But in Memphis, the 19-year MPD veteran is known for her high homicide solve rate.

The only African-American female in the homicide department, Mason was recently nominated for America’s Most Wanted‘s All-Stars, an online contest in which AMW viewers cast votes for their favorite first-responder.

Voting is open through April 15th on www.amw.com. The winner will be announced next month.

— by Bianca Phillips

Flyer: How did you become an officer?

Mason: I was going to school to be a nurse, and I got a part-time job at Ike’s on Park Avenue. A girlfriend of mine who worked in cosmetics said the police department was hiring. She said I could make $1,300 every two weeks. We applied, and we both got the job.

Why homicide?

I worked in Crime Stoppers for three years. It was right across the hall from homicide. I’d always go over there and ask the guys if I could see the pictures. They were always gruesome, and it just seemed like something I really wanted to do.

Well, a year after I came to the police department, a good friend of mine was murdered. I would go over there every day to see how they would try to solve it. That inspired me.

What’s your murder solve rate?

Out of the 20 or so cases I had last year, I only have one that remains unsolved.

On The First 48, you wear a special black blazer to interview suspects. Does it really help you get confessions?

It was kind of blown up by The First 48. [The camera crew] came to my house. They filmed inside my closet to show how I’m a shop-aholic. I love shoes and bags.

They wanted me to pick up a particular blazer and say, “This is my interview blazer. I get most of my confessions in that.”

Isn’t it kind of a depressing job?

A hard thing about dealing with death is that when I see that body out there on the street, I can’t look at it as a human being. I have to look at it as a science, because now it’s evidence. I have to figure out what happened to this person, why it happened, and who did it.

The worst part of that whole scenario is telling the victim’s family that their loved one has been killed at the hands of someone else. I actually have to do the notification myself. It’s heartbreaking.

Any other downsides to working homicide?

Last year, my son graduated from Dexter Middle to go to Cordova High School, and right when he went across the stage, I got called out. I missed going to dinner with him and the other boys.

If I go on a date, I always have to drive, because if we get a homicide, I’ve got to go.