'A beacon of hope': Officials, community mourn Memphis pastor Ricky Floyd's death

Yahoo

12-03-2025

Prominent Memphis pastor Ricky Floyd was killed in a Downtown shooting Wednesday morning.
Floyd was killed on Kentucky Street, between the Eagle Distribution Company and Momma's Bar and Grill. Memphis police say they have arrested and charged 42-year-old Samantha Jackson.
Floyd's death drew immediate reactions from public officials, religious leaders and Memphians who took to Floyd's Facebook page to share their condolences.
Memphis Mayor Paul Young was among the first to commemorate Floyd. Young took to X, formerly known as Twitter, and called for an end to "senseless gun violence."
"My heart is more than heavy today as we mourn the tragic loss of Pastor Ricky Floyd to senseless gun violence," Young said. "Pastor Floyd was a beloved leader, friend, mentor and servant to our city. He dedicated his life to lifting up others and guiding countless souls with his wisdom. His death is more than a loss for his family and his congregation — it is a loss for Memphis. Gun violence in our city has taken too many lives, shattered too many families and left too many communities in grief. This must stop.
"We cannot allow senseless gun violence to define us. We must stand together — neighbors, leaders, law enforcement and faith communities — to bring meaningful, lasting change. I ask every Memphian to pray for Pastor Floyd's family, his congregation and all who are hurting. Let's move into action. Let's work together to build a Memphis where tragedies like this are no longer a daily reality. We owe it to Pastor Floyd, and we owe it to each other.
"Rest in power, Pastor Floyd. Your light will not be forgotten."
Rev. Bill Adkins — pastor at Greater Imani Church, the Cathedral of Faith in Frayser — was a close friend of Floyd's.
"He was a person that we were always so proud of," Adkins told The Commercial Appeal in a phone interview. "Pastor Floyd was a beacon of hope in the Frayser community. He did so much for so many. He did many things that so many other churches do not do as far as going into the street, helping the underserved, helping the underprivileged, looking for those that needed guidance, working with the youth in the community, doing everything he could — helping start businesses. His ministry was complete and total on every level, for the whole person. It was just a tremendous loss for us to lose him last night."
Floyd called Adkins "Pops," he said, adding it was "all he ever called me."
"I'm devastated by his loss. All I can say to the Pursuit of God Church family is be proud of the work that he accomplished and what he had built and hopefully, somehow, it can continue to go on," Adkins said.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Officials, community mourn Memphis pastor Ricky Floyd's shooting death