Tennessee high school junior fatally shot while attending funeral of friend, his grieving mother says

Two Tennessee juveniles are accused of fatally shooting a 16-year-old boy during a funeral procession, authorities said.

On Oct. 26, officers arrested the pair and charged them in juvenile court with first-degree murder in connection to the slaying of 16-year-old Emmit Beasley, according to the Memphis Police Department.

A second 16-year-old was also injured and rushed to an area hospital in critical condition on Oct. 23. Police said the shooters fled the scene in a Jeep.

Chastity Graham, Beasley’s mother, told WHBQ-TV her son was murdered while attending the funeral of a friend. “I watched my son pray in that church. He actually helped ushers in the church put seats down, to put chairs down for kids to sit down during his kids’ service,” she said.

After the funeral, Graham said, other children walked behind the casket.

“It was a beautiful sight. I was in my car trailing behind the kids a couple of other parents,” she recalled. “I actually circled around the block and came back up to help because I’m in the healthcare field and when I got out of my car my son was dead.”

“His brains were scattered, on the sidewalk, my son was dead,” Graham said. “And that’s the last image I will have of my 16-year-old son.”

Graham said the victim was a high school junior who worked at Wendy’s and wanted to be a rapper.