Shelby County authorities said Tamir Washington found a firearm at home and unintentionally shot himself shortly after returning from school.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A 24-year-old father faces criminal charges after authorities said his 5-year-old son found a firearm inside their southeast Shelby County home and unintentionally shot himself Monday afternoon.
Shelby County sheriff’s deputies responded at about 4:40 p.m. Aug. 17 to a shooting call at a home on Baysweet Drive. Deputies found the child, identified as Tamir Washington, critically wounded in the front yard. He was taken to a nearby hospital and later died, according to the Sheriff’s Office and court records cited by news organizations covering the case.
Authorities arrested Tamir’s father, Marquavious Washington, at the scene. The Sheriff’s Office said Washington was charged with criminally negligent homicide, reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon and aggravated child neglect. A separate report by Law&Crime, citing an affidavit of complaint and court records, described the third charge as aggravated child abuse. The precise wording of that charge could not be independently confirmed from an online court record reviewed for this story.
Tamir’s mother, Rodnesha Walker, told local television station WMC that her son had returned home from school and was doing homework and eating before the shooting. Law&Crime, citing the affidavit, reported that the boy later went into a room with his brother and found his father’s firearm.
Deputies said the shooting appeared to have been unintentional. According to the affidavit described by Law&Crime, responding officers provided emergency aid before medical personnel arrived. The child was then taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead less than an hour after deputies first reached the home.
Investigators who entered the residence found a handgun on a bed in a bedroom, according to the court document cited by Law&Crime. Public reports did not specify how the firearm had been stored before Tamir found it or whether investigators had determined how long it had been accessible to the children.
Washington was taken into custody after the shooting and booked into the Shelby County Jail. Law&Crime reported Wednesday that he was being held on $100,000 bond and had been scheduled for a court appearance Thursday. No reliable public report reviewed Friday established the outcome of that hearing or whether his custody or bond status had changed.
Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. addressed firearm storage after the child’s death, urging gun owners to keep weapons secured and out of children’s reach. The Sheriff’s Office said proper storage is critical to preventing children from gaining access to firearms.
Tamir had recently begun the new school year, according to his family. Authorities had not released additional findings Friday explaining exactly how he gained access to the weapon, and no public information reviewed for this story indicated that anyone other than Washington had been charged.
The charges against Marquavious Washington are allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless proved guilty in court. The investigation and criminal case remained pending as of Friday, with no additional court outcome independently confirmed.
Author note: Last updated August 21, 2026.