On a summer evening in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, the life of 29-year-old Rodney Armstrong, a Black male, was tragically cut short. On July 9, 2020, Armstrong was hosting a pool party in the backyard of his home on Maylon Drive. The gathering took a violent turn following an argument, resulting in Armstrong being shot twice. Emergency medical services arrived at the scene and transported him to the hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.
The preliminary investigation pointed to a disagreement between Armstrong and another individual at the party.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, the suspect, 21-year-old Zolan Miles, fled the scene along with five other witnesses. However, shortly after the incident, Miles turned himself in to the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office. He was subsequently interviewed by detectives from the Murfreesboro Police Department and charged with second-degree murder in the death of Rodney Armstrong. Miles was held at the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center on a $450,000 bond.
The legal proceedings that followed saw Zolan Miles negotiate a plea agreement with the Rutherford County Courts. In May 2021, it was reported that he had entered a guilty plea and was released on bond while awaiting his sentencing, which was scheduled for July 8, 2021. The final outcome of the sentencing has seen some delays.
The profound loss of Rodney Armstrong spurred his mother, Rafiah Muhammed-McCormick, to channel her grief into community action. She founded Rodney's Village, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting teenage parents and fostering stable homes for young children, with the goal of preventing future violence. Muhammed-McCormick has become a vocal advocate against gun violence, participating in rallies and working with organizations like Mothers Over Murder to bring about positive change in the community and honor her son's memory.
