John Red Robert Materna

For three decades, the corner of Homer Street and Wayne Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee, was John 'Red' Robert Materna's spot. The 76-year-old man, known affectionately to his community as 'The Watermelon Man,' would sell fruit from the back of his truck, a friendly and familiar face to all who passed by. But on the morning of May 15, 2023, this routine scene turned tragic when Materna was shot in the stomach during a robbery. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition and, after fighting f ...

gofundme.com: Medical expenses for Redthewatermelonman, organized by April Stokes

WREG.com: 15-year-old charged in fatal shooting of ‘watermelon man’ John Materna, police say