Michael Wayne Osborn, a 48-year-old man from Memphis, Tennessee, was at his job at JARS Delivery Services and Transportation on a Wednesday afternoon in July 2016, when his life was tragically cut short. A gunman, identified as 30-year-old Charles Hammond, opened fire inside the business located in a business park on Farrisview Boulevard in the southeast part of the city.
Osborn was fatally wounded in the attack.
The shooting, which occurred on July 27, 2016, also left another JARS employee, Michael Hansbro, injured. A third individual was reportedly shot at but escaped unharmed. In the immediate aftermath, the motive for the workplace shooting remained unclear, leaving family, friends, and the community grappling with the senseless act of violence. Loved ones remembered Osborn as a quiet, gentle, and selfless man who was a loving husband to his high school sweetheart, Cindy, and a caring father to his grown children.
Authorities swiftly identified Charles Hammond as the shooter. According to an affidavit, Hammond's own mother, Jowanna Hammond, who owned a neighboring business called Hammond Transportation, informed investigators that her son had used a gun from an office drawer. She and another witness positively identified Charles Hammond as the perpetrator. He was arrested and faced charges of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder. Hammond was subsequently held without bond at the Shelby County Jail. The community rallied around the Osborn family, offering support in the wake of the tragedy.
