Memphis shooting leaves welder dead

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Summary: Clyde “CJ” Ray Nichols Jr., 35, a welder from Jackson, Tennessee, was fatally shot around 6:20 a.m. on April 21, 2026, in Memphis’ Frayser neighborhood. Known for his creativity, laughter, and love for family, Nichols aspired to become a diesel mechanic. Police arrested 40-year-old Trey Murphy, who faces second-degree murder charges. A celebration of life was held April 25. His death leaves his mother, sisters, and six nieces and nephews grieving the sudden loss of a devoted uncle and friend.

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Clyde “CJ” Ray Nichols Jr., 35, spent his days welding metal with steady hands and sketching Pokémon cards with the same precision he showed as a kid. A single gunshot cut his life short before most people had poured their first cup of coffee.

The shooting happened around 6:20 a.m. on April 21, 2026. Memphis police officers arrived to find Nichols unresponsive on the pavement. He had stumbled out of a vacant lot and collapsed in the street. Nearby surveillance cameras captured the grim sequence: a man in a camouflage jacket approached the fallen Nichols, paused to look down, then ran off. No one else appeared on the footage.

Detectives moved fast. An anonymous tip on April 22 pointed them toward 40-year-old Trey Murphy. The next day, officers located and arrested him at a Frayser convenience store. Confronted with video evidence, Murphy first denied any role. He later admitted he had been present. According to police, he claimed the two men had argued and traded threats. Nichols struck him with a wooden stick, knocking him down. Murphy told investigators an unknown shooter then fired the fatal shot.

Memphis police charged Murphy with second-degree murder. A judge set his bond at $500,000. The case remains active as prosecutors review the evidence.

Nichols left behind his mother, Cynthia Leyhue Coleman, and her husband Wesley; two sisters; maternal grandparents; and six nieces and nephews who adored him. He was preceded in death by his father. Friends and relatives gathered for a celebration of life on April 25 at Murphy Funeral Home in Martin, Tennessee. They remembered a creative, athletic man who built things and built relationships with equal care.

Incidents like this ripple outward. One bullet removes a son, a brother, an uncle, and a neighbor whose skills and warmth will never return to the community he called home. In Frayser and across Memphis, residents continue to wrestle with how quickly everyday tensions can escalate into irreversible loss.

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Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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Sources
Action News 5: Man arrested in Frayser shooting
Murphy Funeral Home: Clyde “CJ” Ray Nichols Jr. Obituary
Gun Memorial: Victim profile