A vigil in Memphis meant to honor a recent death turned into another tragedy on the evening of April 19, 2025. Anthony Ford, a 52-year-old African American grandfather and longtime Memphis Parks Department employee, was attending a candlelight gathering in the Medical District for 38-year-old Alicia Stringfellow when a drive-by shooting erupted. Moments after balloons were released, gunfire struck five people, including a 14-year-old, and Ford was fatally wounded.

Ford’s life partner of 20 years, Kimberly Christian, described him as a gentle giant who loved his family and his job; the couple had been planning to marry in June. Police say the investigation is ongoing and no arrests or suspects have been publicly identified. The community is left mourning a man killed while paying respects to another — who remembers Anthony or saw what happened that night?