Kemi Bacon, 17, was fatally shot in Memphis in the early hours of Labor Day, September 2, 2019. She had been a passenger in a car that pulled into a service station at South Perkins and Knight Arnold around 3 a.m. When an 18-year-old with her group attempted to steal a white Infiniti left running, the vehicle’s owner, 24-year-old Lakendrick Bunting, saw the attempt from inside the store, came outside and began shooting at the young man. The would-be thief fled to the car he’d arrived in and drove away with friends; Bunting got into his own vehicle and pursued them, firing more shots. One bullet struck Kemi; she was later found on the roadside in the 4100 block of Cochese Avenue and died at the hospital.

Bunting admitted to shooting at the fleeing car but said someone in that vehicle had fired at him first. The other passengers said they returned fire only after Bunting started shooting. Bunting was arrested and later indicted on second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder and six counts of employment of a firearm in the commission of a dangerous felony; the case was with the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office and awaiting further proceedings. If anyone was with Kemi that night or has information about the chase and the shooting, please come forward.