MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A 21-year-old Memphis man has been sentenced to life in prison after he reportedly shot a pedestrian to death in 2019.
The Shelby County District Attorney’s Office says Demarcus Wooten was convicted of first-degree murder Wednesday. Wooten was also convicted of attempted first degree murder and employment of a firearm in commission of a dangerous felony.
According to the DA’s office, at around 2:30 a.m. June 12, 2019, Wooten shot 49-year-old Willie C. Gandy in the back as Gandy crossed the street at Mt. Moriah and Quince.
Witnesses reportedly told investigators Wooten shot Gandy “for no apparent reason.” The DA’s office has also described the shooting as “unprovoked.”
The DA’s office says just minutes earlier, Wooten had shot at a motorist in the area of Mt. Moriah and Willow Road. The shot hit the car’s rear driver’s side door and shattered the window, but the driver was not injured.
According to the DA’s office, Wooten was sitting in the back seat of a car during the shootings. The DA’s office says the driver of the car continued on Mt. Moriah, but Wooten told the driver to make a U-turn. As they passed the shooting scene, Wooten reportedly laughed and said, “Look at his body.”
The DA’s office says a witness later texted Wooten asking about the shooting. Wooten reportedly replied “He dead” with a smiling emoji.
Wooten was automatically sentenced to life in prison for the murder charge. He is scheduled to be sentenced for the other charges in February.
In September of 2019, Wooten was also charged with the shooting death of 26-year-old Casey Tinker, who was a student at the University of Memphis. Memphis Police said Wooten, then 19, shot Tinker during an attempted robbery.
