Gunman Pleads Guilty in Shooting That Left Victim Paralyzed

Feb. 23, 2022 – A Memphis man charged in a shooting in 2019 that left the victim paralyzed pled guilty Tuesday and was sentenced to 23 years in prison, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Defendant Tavari Golden, 24, pled guilty to attempted first-degree murder in Criminal Court.

The incident occurred in the early-morning hours of July 14, 2019, at the Mill Creek Apartments near Shelby Drive and I-55 where the victim, his girlfriend and several members of her family were staying.

One of her cousins got into an argument over money with a woman just outside the apartment. When the woman left, the cousin, the victim and his girlfriend went to a nearby store to get gas and something to drink.

When they returned, the car of the woman involved in the earlier argument was parked near the apartment with two men standing nearby. The victim, 24, was the first to go up the stairs, but as he did the two men opened fire, striking him at least eight times in the legs, back, arms and chest. One bullet lodged in his spine, leaving him paralyzed and in a wheelchair.

The shooting was captured on a security camera at the complex. The other gunman has not been captured.

The case was handled by Asst. Dist. Atty. Jimmy Thomas and Asst. Dist. Atty. Tanisha Johnson.