In the winter of 2014, in the Whitehaven neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee, the life of Scottie Meeks Sr., a 22-year-old Black / African American male, was tragically cut short. On the evening of December 7th, Meeks was fatally shot. In a heart-wrenching detail, it is believed he was holding his two-year-old son at the time of the shooting. The young boy was also struck by the gunfire and was rushed to Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in critical condition, though he was expected to survive his
injuries.
Neighbors were startled by the sound of multiple gunshots and the subsequent cries of the toddler, who was heard saying, 'My daddy got shot, my daddy got shot'. The incident was not a robbery or a drive-by shooting, which left the community in shock and mourning over what was described as a senseless act of violence. The tragic event drew significant attention from both local law enforcement and the community, highlighting the devastating impact of gun violence.
In the aftermath of the shooting, arrest warrants were issued for two individuals. Bradley Rankin, 21 years old at the time, was charged with second-degree murder, criminal attempt second-degree murder, and employment of a firearm during the commission of a felony. A second man, 20-year-old Oshayland Coleman, was charged with being an accessory after the fact to second-degree murder. Rankin surrendered to authorities shortly after the warrants were issued. Coleman remained at large for a period before he also turned himself in to the police.
