An argument between two security guards at a Main Event entertainment center in Cordova, a suburb of Memphis, Tennessee, escalated into a fatal shooting, leaving 65-year-old James Redmon dead. The incident, which occurred on the evening of July 22, 2024, unfolded after a dispute over the use of a metal detector at the facility's entrance. The man charged in Redmon's death is his 44-year-old coworker, Richard Lewis.
According to witness statements and court documents, the disagreement
between Redmon and Lewis had been brewing throughout the day. Another employee at Main Event told investigators that Lewis had expressed anger earlier that day about Redmon being at work and had made a threat, stating that if Redmon 'walks up on me, I'm gonna blow his a** off.' Later in the evening, the two guards were seen on security footage in a conversation before Lewis drew a handgun and shot Redmon in the head at close range.
Following the shooting, the manager of the Main Event location found Redmon on the ground and bleeding. When the manager asked Lewis what had happened, Lewis reportedly stated, 'He came at me, and I had to do it.' Redmon was pronounced dead at the scene. It was later revealed that Redmon had a firearm in his holster when he was shot.
Richard Lewis was taken into custody at the scene and has since been charged with first-degree murder. During legal proceedings, it was discovered that Lewis was not licensed as an armed security guard at the time of the shooting, prompting an investigation by the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance. Lewis was indicted by a grand jury on November 7, 2024, and his trial is set for September 4, 2026. He remains in the Shelby County Jail with a bond set at $5 million.
