MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis community leaders are honoring and remembering Pastor Ricky Floyd, who was shot and killed outside of a South Memphis bar.
According to police, Samantha Marion, 42, called officers after the shooting and admitted to firing the fatal shot. She is now held in jail on a $100,000 bond and facing a voluntary manslaughter charge.
The Ed Rice Community Center gathers with the community every week to share visions for the city, and Pastor Ricky Floyd would have been in attendance Thursday.
For years, the pastor dedicated himself to helping and healing the city of Memphis in any and every way he could.
“He was a servant at heart who was always trying to find a way to make Memphis better by making people better, and that’s something that we cannot miss,” said Pastor DeAndre Brown, Lifeline to a Dying World Ministries. “It’s very important that we value people and give people what they need.”
Pastor Brown worked alongside Pastor Floyd for years, helping community members in need, lifting people in prayer during difficult times, and working endlessly to stop the violence in Memphis.
“The nation has lost a giant, and it is our duty to stand strong to make sure that legacy doesn’t wane. To not only support the community, but to support his family, to support his congregation, but most importantly to support one another,” said Brown.
Loved ones of Pastor Floyd told WREG that he never passed judgment and always gave people second chances at life, regardless of their stories.
“When you talk about Pastor Floyd, you talk about someone that was able to take a person like me, get them in church, someone who had been broken,” said Vontyna Durham, Member of Pursuit of God Church. “He helped me navigate from the prison system to be able to become a community leader, to build a business.”
Durham said that she will uphold his legacy by providing people with opportunities that can help them plant seeds for a better life, just like Pastor Floyd once did for her.