In the early morning hours of a Sunday in Jackson, Tennessee, chaos and violence erupted inside the Karma Lounge, a downtown nightclub. Amidst the turmoil of a dispute that escalated tragically, 19-year-old LeCarlos Todd of Memphis was fatally wounded by gunfire. The incident, which occurred on February 26, 2012, also resulted in injuries to 19 other individuals, some by gunshots and others trampled in the ensuing panic.
Authorities later determined that at least three different people had fired handguns into the crowd. The party that turned deadly had followed a Saturday night college basketball game.
The investigation into the nightclub shooting led police to identify Travis Steed, a 30-year-old from Jackson, as the man responsible for the death of LeCarlos Todd. It was determined that Steed had been attempting to shoot another individual when he instead struck Todd. In a turn of events, Steed himself was shot and injured by other patrons who returned fire during the incident. He was subsequently arrested in connection with the widespread violence at the now-closed Karma Ultralounge Nightclub.
In August of 2013, a Madison County court found Travis Steed guilty on multiple charges, including felony murder and second-degree murder, for his role in the death of LeCarlos Todd. For his crimes, which also included reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, and attempted second-degree murder, he was sentenced to life in prison plus an additional 24 years. At the time of the nightclub shooting, Steed was on parole for prior drug and reckless endangerment cases and was sent back to prison following his arrest for the murder.
