Police said the shooting followed an argument over unpaid rent inside a Parkhurst Court apartment.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A 22-year-old Memphis man was charged after police said he shot his roommate at least six times during a May 1 argument over unpaid rent inside an apartment on Parkhurst Court.

Lorenzo Miller faces attempted first-degree murder, employing a firearm with intent to commit a felony, tampering with or fabricating evidence, and especially aggravated kidnapping charges. The case centers on what police described in an affidavit as a rent dispute that moved from argument to gunfire while Miller, his girlfriend and the roommate were inside the apartment. The roommate survived long enough to speak with investigators, but police said he was taken to a hospital in critical condition.

The confrontation began in the 2100 block of Parkhurst Court, where the three people were present in Miller’s apartment, according to the affidavit. Police said Miller and the roommate argued because the roommate had not paid his share of the rent. Miller’s girlfriend told investigators that the argument grew tense as the men continued talking about money. Court records said Miller went into the roommate’s bedroom and retrieved a black Taurus handgun, but the same affidavit also described the gun as being on a nearby coffee table. “Miller grabbed a gun that was on a nearby coffee table,” the document said. Police did not explain in the available record why the affidavit gave both descriptions of where the gun was before the shooting.

After Miller got the gun, police said, he blocked the doorway and would not let the roommate leave while the rent argument continued. The affidavit said Miller pointed the gun at the roommate. The roommate then punched Miller in the face, investigators said. Police said Miller fired into the roommate’s stomach and twice into his shoulder. As the wounded man kept fighting, Miller shot him once in the leg, according to the affidavit. The roommate fell to the floor. Police said Miller then stood over him and fired at least two more shots. Investigators said the wounds showed the roommate appeared to have been shot at least six times. The affidavit did not identify the roommate by name or state the amount of rent allegedly owed.

Memphis police officers responded to the apartment and found the wounded roommate. He was rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition, police said. Miller was still at the apartment complex when officers arrived. Investigators said he was found in the breezeway of the building and was arrested at the scene. Police later found a black Taurus 9 mm handgun outside the apartment near a fence line. The location of the gun became part of the evidence behind the tampering charge. The affidavit did not say who placed the gun outside, how long it had been there or whether investigators recovered shell casings from inside the apartment.

Police said two statements helped shape the case. Miller’s girlfriend told investigators that Miller was the person responsible for shooting the roommate. Investigators also interviewed Miller, and the affidavit said he admitted shooting the roommate after the roommate assaulted him. The available court record does not quote a full statement from Miller, and it does not state whether he claimed self-defense. The day after the shooting, the wounded roommate viewed a six-person photo lineup and identified Miller as his roommate and as the person who shot him, police said. That identification added to the witness account and Miller’s alleged statement in the affidavit.

The especially aggravated kidnapping charge is tied to the accusation that Miller blocked the door and refused to let the roommate leave while armed. In Tennessee criminal cases, attempted first-degree murder is among the most serious charges short of homicide because it accuses a person of trying to carry out a planned or intentional killing. The firearm charge adds a separate accusation that the gun was used to commit another felony. The tampering count focuses on alleged conduct involving evidence after or during the shooting. Police have not said whether additional charges could be filed if the roommate’s medical condition changes.

The Parkhurst Court apartment became the center of the investigation after officers arrived and secured the scene. The affidavit places the dispute inside a shared living space, not in a public street or parking lot. That detail matters because investigators described the conflict as a domestic living arrangement that broke down over rent money. Police did not release the terms of the housing arrangement, who was listed on the lease or whether either man had made past complaints about the other. The record also does not say whether neighbors heard the gunfire or called police. The available account comes largely from the affidavit, the girlfriend’s statement, Miller’s alleged admission, the victim’s lineup identification and the recovery of the handgun.

The case was set to move next into court, where Miller was due to appear May 5. At that stage, the charges listed in the affidavit were accusations, not convictions. Prosecutors would have to decide how to move the case forward, including whether to present it to a grand jury or proceed through other early court steps. A judge could also address bond, counsel and scheduling. Police did not list the roommate’s updated condition in the available report, and no public timeline was given for when investigators would complete ballistics testing, review medical records or file any supplemental reports.

The shooting left several key questions open. The records available did not say how much rent was in dispute, whether the gun belonged to the roommate, why the gun was accessible during the argument or whether anyone tried to separate the men before shots were fired. The affidavit did say the girlfriend was present and identified Miller to police. It also said the victim survived the initial attack and later identified Miller from a photo lineup. The apartment scene, the fence-line recovery of the handgun and the hospital records are likely to remain central pieces of evidence as the case moves through court.

Miller remained accused in a case built around witness statements, a recovered gun and a wounded roommate’s identification. The next known milestone was his May 5 court appearance, where the first public steps in the felony case were expected to begin.

Author note: Last updated May 24, 2026.