Authorities said Tamir Washington accessed his father’s firearm at a southeast Shelby County home shortly after returning from school.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A 24-year-old father faces criminal charges after authorities said his 5-year-old son found a firearm inside their southeast Shelby County home and unintentionally shot himself Aug. 17, later dying at a hospital.
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office identified the child as Tamir Washington and said deputies were called at about 4:40 p.m. to a home on Baysweet Drive. Deputies found Tamir critically wounded in the front yard and provided emergency aid until paramedics arrived. He was taken to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, where he died. Authorities arrested his father, Marquavious Washington, at the scene.
The Sheriff’s Office said Washington was charged with criminally negligent homicide, reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon and aggravated child neglect. Action News 5 reported that a judge later set his bond at $100,000. The charges are allegations, and the criminal case had not been resolved as of Saturday.
Tamir’s mother told Action News 5 that the boy had returned from school and was doing homework and eating before he went into a room with his brother. Investigators later determined that Tamir had gained access to a firearm belonging to his father, according to the Sheriff’s Office and reports citing an affidavit of complaint. Authorities have described the shooting as unintentional.
Law&Crime, citing the affidavit, reported that deputies who entered the residence found a handgun on a bed in a bedroom. Public information reviewed Saturday did not establish exactly where the firearm had been kept before Tamir obtained it or how long it had been accessible. Authorities also had not publicly released a more detailed account explaining how the child reached the weapon.
There is a discrepancy in public reporting over the wording of one charge against Washington. The Sheriff’s Office, as reported by Action News 5 and WBBJ-TV, identified the count as aggravated child neglect. Law&Crime, citing court records, described the charge as aggravated child abuse. The available public reports reviewed Saturday did not resolve that difference.
Tamir had begun the school year about two weeks before his death and attended Lowrance K-8, according to Action News 5. Terrell Foxe, identified by the station as the head of the school’s PTA, went to the scene after learning that a student had died and spoke about the responsibility adults have when children may be around firearms and other dangers.
Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. also addressed firearm storage after Tamir’s death. Bonner urged gun owners to keep firearms secured and out of children’s reach, saying safe storage is critical to preventing children from gaining access to weapons.
Washington appeared in court Aug. 19, when his $100,000 bond was reported, according to Action News 5. The station said his next court date is scheduled for Aug. 26. No later reliable public report reviewed Saturday established a plea, identified defense counsel or announced any additional charges in the case.
The investigation and criminal proceedings remain pending. Authorities had not released additional findings by Saturday explaining the precise circumstances under which Tamir obtained the firearm, and the next publicly reported step in Washington’s case is the Aug. 26 court appearance.
Author note: Last updated August 22, 2026.