Geraldine Harris, a 93-year-old Black woman, was in her Memphis, Tennessee, home on the evening of January 17, 2024, when a shooting occurred. When Memphis Police Department officers arrived at the residence on Kendale Avenue, they discovered three female victims who had been struck by gunfire. Ms. Harris died at the scene. The two other victims were transported to a local hospital with critical injuries.
For more than a year, homicide investigators worked the case. A significant development came on July 24, 2025, when the U.S. Marshals Service Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force arrested Derrion Taylor at a home on Colony Drive in Memphis. Taylor, who was 17 years old at the time of the shooting, was identified as a suspect and charged in connection with the incident.
At the time of his arrest, he also had outstanding warrants for other unrelated offenses.
Taylor was initially charged in Juvenile Court with first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder, and two counts of aggravated assault. During a detention hearing, where family members of Ms. Harris were present, a Memphis Police Homicide detective testified about the danger the suspect posed to the community. A Juvenile Magistrate ordered Taylor to be detained and set his bond at $1 million.
In March 2026, the case against Derrion Taylor, then 19, was transferred from juvenile court to adult criminal court. He now faces prosecution as an adult on the original charges. “The facts of this case are deeply disturbing,” said District Attorney Steve Mulroy. “A 93-year-old woman lost her life in her own home, and two others were critically injured. Our hearts are with Ms. Harris’s family and loved ones as they continue to endure this unimaginable loss.” As of March 2026, the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case as it moves forward through the criminal court process.
