A Memphis man is facing first-degree murder charges after police say he was kicked out of a friend's home on Race Street, then came back with a handgun and opened fire, killing him. Michael Parrish was arrested and charged by the Memphis Police Department in connection with the August 30 shooting, which also left him facing weapons and aggravated assault charges.
According to Action News 5, police responded to a shooting call on Race Street on August 30 and found the victim on a porch suffering from apparent gunshot wounds to the leg. Emergency dispatch logs reviewed by Citizen confirm that police and medics were sent to 1173 Race Street that day after 911 callers reported a shooting victim at the address. The Memphis Fire Department transported the victim to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Argument Preceded the Shooting, Affidavit Says
Investigators say Parrish had been at the victim's Race Street home when a disagreement broke out. Per an affidavit cited in the station's report, the victim told Parrish to leave after the two argued, and witnesses told police that Parrish and the victim had an altercation before the shooting. Police say Parrish then returned to the home, pulled out a handgun, and fired approximately five shots at the victim outside the house before running away.
Witnesses identified a man known by the street name “Ugg” as Parrish, according to the same account. Parrish now faces charges of first-degree murder, aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for the commission of a felony, and being a convicted felon in possession of a weapon.
Prior Felony Conviction Adds Weight to Weapons Charge
Court records show Parrish was previously convicted of facilitation of a felony and was sentenced to three years in prison. That prior conviction is significant because Tennessee law treats firearm possession by someone with a past violent or deadly-weapon felony as a Class B felony, punishable by 8 to 30 years in prison, according to Brooks Law Firm.
The stakes in the murder charge alone are severe. Under Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-13-202, a first-degree murder conviction carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment, life without parole, or the death penalty, as explained by FindLaw. Tennessee's 2022 Truth in Sentencing law, Public Chapter 948, further requires that anyone convicted of a violent offense such as second-degree murder serve the entirety of their sentence with no early parole eligibility, per the LMU Law Review.
Case Fits Into Broader Crime Trends in Memphis
The Race Street killing comes as Memphis has posted sharp declines in violent crime. The city recorded fewer than 200 homicides in 2025 for the first time since 2019, a 26% year-over-year drop in murders alongside a 22% reduction in aggravated assaults, according to the Memphis Police Department. That momentum has continued into 2026, with the department reporting a 60% drop in murders and a 36% year-to-date reduction in Part I crimes during the second quarter compared to the same period last year.
MPD's Homicide Bureau has also gotten sharply better at closing cases, posting an 81% clearance rate in the second quarter of 2026, up from 47% during the same stretch in 2025. The department attributes the gains to its Sustain the Gains strategy of targeted enforcement and prosecution, and to Prolific Offender Initiatives, including one focused on aggravated assault, that direct resources toward repeat offenders with firearm violence in their history.
The Shelby County District Attorney General's Office runs a Special Prosecution Unit dedicated to pursuing maximum sentences against repeat felony offenders in violent and gun-related cases, a framework that could shape how prosecutors approach Parrish's case given his prior facilitation conviction. It remains an open question whether prosecutors will seek sentencing enhancements tied to that prior record, and details on bail and preliminary hearing scheduling had not been released as of this report.
CrimeStoppers of Memphis and Shelby County continues to offer cash rewards for anonymous tips that help investigators make arrests in violent crime cases, reachable at 901-528-CASH. Anyone with information related to the Race Street shooting is encouraged to come forward through that line.
