Jermaine Aldridge, a 27-year-old Black man, was killed in Memphis on September 14, 2015, after an argument in the parking lot outside his girlfriend Jovan Townsend’s apartment in the Whitehaven area. Witnesses described Aldridge calling out to Eddie Smith—Townsend’s former boyfriend—before tempers escalated and Smith drew a handgun, firing at least twice and fatally striking Aldridge as Townsend rushed to help.

Smith told detectives he acted in self-defense because he believed Aldridge might be reaching for a weapon, although he admitted he never actually saw one. A Shelby County jury rejected that claim; Smith was indicted, tried, and in 2018 found guilty of second-degree murder and given a 21-year sentence. The conviction and sentence were affirmed on appeal on June 30, 2020.

Aldridge’s death is recorded in public memorial and obituary listings for September 14, 2015, which note the loss to gun violence in Memphis. Does anyone have additional memories of the scene near Faronia Road or knew Jermaine Aldridge and can share information that could add context to what happened?