In the late hours of a Tuesday in Memphis, the life of 20-year-old Derrico Houston was cut short by a burst of gunfire. On January 8, 2019, Houston was left at the emergency room entrance of St. Francis Hospital on Park Avenue by two men in a red Jeep just before the stroke of midnight. He was suffering from a gunshot wound and, despite medical efforts, succumbed to his injuries.
The male victim was identified as an African American.
The events that led to his tragic death unfolded earlier that night in the parking lot of a Dixie Queen on Winchester Road. An ongoing feud between two groups erupted into violence as Houston and two other men in the red Jeep opened fire on a black Jeep. The occupants of the black Jeep retaliated, firing back at their assailants. In the exchange of bullets, Houston was struck. The individuals in the black Jeep, including the person who fired the fatal shot, have not been identified.
Following an investigation into the shootout, authorities apprehended the two men who were with Houston in the red Jeep. The driver, Mitchell Conrad, faced charges of attempted first-degree murder and employment of a firearm. The other passenger, Jarvis Duncan, was charged with three counts of employment of a firearm during the commission of a violent felony. Duncan later admitted to his presence in the front seat of the red Jeep during the gun battle. While his companions were held accountable for their roles in the incident, the search for the person directly responsible for Derrico Houston's death continues.
