A man was found dead of a gunshot wound Tuesday afternoon on Bullington Avenue in South Memphis, and police say they currently have no suspect information in the case. Memphis Police were called to a home on the street, located between S. Parkway East and Trigg Avenue, at approximately 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 8, 2026, where the man was discovered unresponsive and later pronounced dead at the scene.
According to Action News 5, Memphis Police are now investigating the man's death, though as of the report no suspect had been identified. Separately, LocalMemphis.com reported that officers responded to a man-down call at approximately 12:30 p.m. in the 700 block of Bullington Avenue, where they found the victim already deceased from a gunshot wound. Key details remain unknown, including the victim's identity, any motive, and whether shot-detection technology or home security footage captured the shooting.
A Street Named for a Community Figure
The stretch of roadway where the shooting occurred carries a layered local history. Just this past June, a section of Bullington Avenue was officially dedicated as James A. Bridges, Sr. Avenue, according to Action News 5's earlier coverage of the renaming ceremony. The dedication marked a civic milestone for the South Memphis block now at the center of a homicide investigation.
The area sits within the 38106 ZIP code, which logged 3,782 recorded crimes in the first eight months of 2024 despite a 4% year-over-year decline, per data published by Smart City Memphis. Separately, the Memphis Police Department's Crump Station registered 8,048 crime incidents through August of that same year, the same records show.
A Complicated Citywide Crime Picture
The Bullington Avenue killing lands amid a mixed statistical backdrop for Memphis violent crime. The Memphis Police Department reported in July that citywide homicides dropped 60% during the second quarter of 2026 compared to the same period the year before, with the department's Homicide Bureau achieving an 81% clearance rate. That followed an April report from the department showing homicides declined 31% during the first quarter of 2026, while crime declined by more than 40% citywide.
Yet Memphis continues to face structural public safety challenges that predate this year's improvements. A study published by Security.org in August found Memphis ranked highest for total crime.
Tips, Charges and Trauma Care
No suspect has been identified in connection with the Bullington Avenue shooting, and it remains unclear whether Memphis CrimeStoppers or Crump Station officers have received actionable tips. Details about CrimeStoppers rewards and donor-funded Spotlight Awards are not provided in the cited reports.
Should a suspect eventually be identified and charged, Tennessee law would govern the case.
The available reports do not provide details about whether gunshot victims are routed to Regional One Health's Elvis Presley Trauma Center, the center's regional designation or its patient-survival rate. In this case, the man was pronounced dead at the scene before transport. The investigation remains open, and police have not released further details about the victim or a possible motive.
