On a Sunday evening in Memphis, Tennessee, a day that had been filled with the warmth of family, turned into a scene of unimaginable tragedy. Paula Appleberry, a 54-year-old woman from Horn Lake, Mississippi, was driving her daughter and three grandchildren home from a birthday party on February 4, 2024. As she navigated the streets of the Orange Mound neighborhood, her vehicle was suddenly riddled with bullets.
Inside the car with Appleberry were her 25-year-old daughter, Tierney Irby,
and her three grandchildren, ages eight, two, and seven months. In the chaos that erupted, Irby frantically urged her mother to speed up and escape the gunfire. Unbeknownst to her, her mother had already been struck. The car accelerated before veering off the road and crashing into a pole. Paula Appleberry succumbed to her injuries at the scene. Her two-year-old grandson was also wounded by the gunfire but was expected to recover, while her daughter sustained injuries in the crash.
The killing was described by her family as a senseless act of violence, believing it may have been a case of mistaken identity. They pointed to her license plate, which read 'GODS#1FAN,' as a testament to her character. Appleberry was remembered by her loved ones and coworkers from General Electric as a devout, loving, and vibrant woman whose smile could light up a room.
In the months following the shooting, the investigation led to a significant development. On May 16, 2024, a grand jury indicted two men, Jamario Franklin and David Cunningham, in connection with the death of Paula Appleberry. The suspects face a range of charges, including first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and aggravated assault. Both men were taken into custody and are being held without bond at the Shelby County Jail.
