In the early hours of a July morning in Memphis, a heated dispute between a man and his girlfriend set in motion a chain of events that would end in bloodshed. Timothy Echols was fatally shot on July 13, 2025, in the Messick Buntyn area. Police responded to a distress call at approximately 1:15 a.m. in the 3400 block of Southern Avenue, where they found Echols suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
He was rushed to Regional One Hospital but ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
The man charged in connection with Echols' death is Tajee Turnage, who was 27 years old at the time of the incident. Turnage, who worked as an armed security guard, was the roommate of Echols' girlfriend. According to police reports, Turnage received a FaceTime call from his roommate, who claimed that Echols had stolen his gun, assaulted her, and fired shots at her.
Following the call from his roommate, Turnage located Echols on Southern Avenue. Turnage told police that he saw Echols in a car and that Echols pointed a gun at him. In response, Turnage fired at Echols multiple times with a mini Draco. When law enforcement arrived at the scene, Turnage was present and reportedly gave a full statement about the incident. He was taken into custody and subsequently charged with first-degree murder.
Video footage of the incident may provide additional details about the confrontation. According to reports, as Turnage attempted to keep Echols from leaving the scene, he was heard demanding to know the location of his belongings. Turnage was booked into jail, and a court hearing was scheduled for the following days.
