Ruxin Wang, a 74-year-old Chinese man, had recently moved to Nashville, Tennessee, from China with his wife of nearly 50 years, Yongling Zhai. They came to enjoy their retirement and be closer to their son, Yun Wang. On the afternoon of November 9, 2017, their peaceful new life was shattered. While outside his home on Claiborne Street in South Nashville to retrieve his trash can, Ruxin Wang was shot and killed. His wife heard two gunshots and went outside to find him lying breathless.
Witnesses reported seeing several young people fleeing the scene after the shooting.
The investigation into the senseless killing led Metro Nashville Police to a 16-year-old girl named Myeisha Brown. In January 2018, she was arrested and charged with criminal homicide. Detectives determined that she was the shooter among the group of young people who were seen running from the area. Initially, it was reported that a 14-year-old boy had also been taken into custody. Brown was initially released on bond but was later rearrested in 2019 on additional charges and placed on house arrest. The Wang family, devastated by their loss, attended every court hearing, seeking justice for Ruxin.
Eventually, Myeisha Brown pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. She was sentenced to serve 15 years in prison for the crime. In a tragic turn of events, Myeisha Brown was found dead in her cell at the Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center in March 2022. The Tennessee Department of Correction opened an investigation into her death. The family of Ruxin Wang, particularly his son Yun, has spoken out about the pain and helplessness they have experienced and has pleaded for an end to youth violence to prevent other families from suffering a similar fate.
