In a tragic turn of events on a Sunday morning in Nashville, Tennessee, a father's demand for his son to move out of his home escalated into a fatal confrontation that left the younger man dead. Mario Jr. Ford, a 20-year-old Black male, was shot and killed on November 26, 2017, inside his father's Malta Drive residence.
The incident began with a heated argument between Mario Jr. and his father, Mario Ford Sr., who was 42 at the time.
The dispute reportedly stemmed from Ford Sr.'s insistence that his son find another place to live. The verbal altercation quickly intensified, leading both men to arm themselves with pistols. According to the father's account to the Metro Nashville Police, his son drew his weapon first, prompting him to fire in self-defense, striking Mario Jr. in the neck.
When emergency services arrived at the North Nashville home around 9:30 a.m., they found Mario Jr. with a gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation that followed brought to light that Mario Ford Sr. was a convicted felon, which made his possession of a firearm illegal. He was subsequently arrested and charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. While Ford Sr. maintained that he acted in self-defense, the case was to be reviewed by the District Attorney's office. However, the final public disposition of the self-defense claim and whether any additional charges were filed in relation to his son's death are not detailed in available online sources.
