On June 29, 2025, a shooting at the Memphis Rox climbing gym on McLemore Avenue in South Memphis left 25-year-old employee Jarmond Johnson dead. The shooting occurred around 4:00 p.m. after an argument escalated into gunfire; police say Johnson and another man, later identified as 28-year-old Dejuan Taylor, exchanged shots and both were killed. Officers found a chaotic scene and detained a third person, 28-year-old Farris Haley.

Police allege Haley broke free, grabbed a loaded pistol near one of the bodies, fled, threw the gun into a waiting vehicle and was later arrested and charged with tampering with evidence and resisting official detention. Johnson was the gym’s outreach coordinator and a well-known figure in the climbing community, noted for work with the Honnold Foundation and outreach efforts; the gym closed temporarily after the shooting as the community mourned.

If anyone knew Johnson, Taylor, Haley or saw the events at Memphis Rox that afternoon, please share what you know.