In a heartbreaking turn of events on April 11, 2020, six-year-old Aison Golden, a Black male, was fatally shot inside his Memphis, Tennessee, home in the Frayser neighborhood. The young boy was looking forward to his older brother's birthday party when the joyous occasion was shattered by gunfire. Just moments after running into the house with his brother upon seeing men with guns outside, Aison was struck by a bullet in front of the stove.
The senseless act of violence that claimed
Aison's life was not a targeted attack on the child. Witnesses reported that two men fired numerous shots into at least two houses in the area, where more than a dozen children were either inside or playing in their yards. The shooters then fled the scene in separate vehicles, leaving a community in shock and a family devastated by the loss of a child described as a lover of superheroes, animals, music, and dancing. In the wake of his death, a balloon release was held at Westside Elementary, the school Aison attended, to honor his memory.
The investigation into Aison's death led to the arrests of two suspects, Ronnekio Johnson and James Murphy, who were both 27 years old at the time. A grand jury indicted both men on a multitude of charges, including first-degree murder. The extensive list of charges also included 14 counts of attempted first-degree murder, 14 counts of employing a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony, 14 counts of aggravated assault, and three counts of reckless endangerment. Law enforcement officials credited the cooperation of witnesses with providing the crucial information that led to the identification and apprehension of Johnson and Murphy.
