Frank Gaines Whitington II, an 18-year-old male from Memphis, TN, was tragically killed on May 29, 2015, just two weeks after his graduation from Memphis University School. The incident occurred in the parking lot of the Champion Hills Apartments at Windyke. Whittington was discovered on the ground next to the driver's side of an SUV and was pronounced dead at the scene from gunshot wounds.
He had sustained a gunshot wound to his hand and another to his chest.
The investigation into his death led police to Andrae Tewari, who was 20 years old at the time. According to statements Tewari made to the police, the shooting was the result of a drug deal that had gone awry. The two had allegedly arranged to transact a quarter-pound of marijuana when a disagreement arose over the price or the quantity of the drug. Tewari claimed that a gun fell out of his backpack, leading to a struggle. During the altercation, both individuals may have fired the weapon. Tewari was shot once in the leg, and another bullet passed through the passenger window where he had been sitting. Tewari, who police identified as a member of the Gangster Disciples, maintained that he had no intention of killing Whittington.
Andrae Tewari was subsequently arrested and charged with second-degree murder in connection with Frank Gaines Whittington's death. He was held on an $800,000 bond. In a turn of events, on January 20, 2017, Tewari, then 22, pleaded guilty to the charge of second-degree murder. The plea was part of a negotiated agreement that was approved by Whittington's family. As a result of his guilty plea, Tewari was sentenced to 20 years in prison, to be served at 100 percent.
