On the evening of September 20, 2021, a burst of gunfire shattered the routine at a Super Suds Car Wash in Memphis, Tennessee, leaving 24-year-old Demarico Thompson, a male, dead and a family searching for answers. The incident occurred around 7:15 p.m. as Thompson was washing his car. The Memphis Police Department later released a chilling video that captured the brazen attack.
According to investigators, a white Kia Sorento with noticeable rust damage on its hood and roof pulled into
the car wash bay next to Thompson's vehicle. Two male suspects exited the Kia. In a coordinated and ruthless assault, one suspect positioned himself at the entrance of the bay while the other stood at the exit. Both men were armed with Draco-style shortened rifles and opened fire on Thompson, striking him multiple times. After the shooting, the suspects fled the scene in the Kia Sorento. Thompson was rushed to a local medical center, but his injuries proved fatal, and he was pronounced dead.
In the months following the shooting, Thompson's mother, Shunta Thompson, spoke of her sleepless nights, tormented by the question of why her son was targeted. She remembered him as a person who was loved by everyone, someone who was always making people laugh. The motive for the shooting has not been publicly released by authorities.
As of March 2022, the gunmen remained at large, and no arrests had been made in connection with Demarico Thompson's murder. The Memphis Police Department continued their homicide investigation, urging anyone with information about the suspects or the white Kia Sorento to come forward. CrimeStoppers offered a cash reward for information leading to an arrest. Despite the public release of the surveillance video and pleas from Thompson's family, the case appeared to remain unsolved, leaving a community on edge and a family grieving an immeasurable loss.
