In the Mitchell Heights neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee, on the afternoon of Sunday, March 8, 2026, Michael Owens Jr., a 30-year-old man, was fatally shot. The incident occurred in the 3300 block of Buchanan Avenue, off Jackson Avenue, where Memphis Police Department officers responded to a call just before 1 p.m. and found Owens suffering from a gunshot wound.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Family members, who gathered at the scene as police cordoned off the street, described Owens as a kind person who was well-known and loved in the community where he grew up and continued to live. His aunt, Sandra Hawthorne, recounted the devastating phone call she received that morning, informing her that her nephew had been shot. She shared that he was a father and was known for helping others in the neighborhood. The family is left grappling with the sudden and tragic loss, calling for justice for their loved one.
Investigators with the Memphis Police Department began searching for a dark gray or silver vehicle that was believed to have been involved in the shooting. An arrest was later made in connection with the fatal shooting. Further details regarding the suspect or the motive have not been released.
