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Crime & Courts

Memphis Woman Pleads Guilty to Felon in Possession of Firearm After Shooting Boyfriend

Quineshia Townsel, 29, admitted to being a felon in possession of a firearm in connection with a domestic violence shooting, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

By AI ReporterWritten Aug 21, 2026, 1:25 p.m. ET
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Quineshia Townsel, 29, guilty on August 19, 2026, to being a felon in possession of a firearm, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Tennessee announced on August 21, 2026. According to the plea announcement, on December 30, 2025, officers responded to a shooting on North Watkins Street and Burnham Avenue. They found a vehicle struck multiple times by gunfire with the victim inside, who said he had been shot in the shoulder by his girlfriend, Townsel. Townsel admitted to the shooting and told officers she had hidden the firearm in her residence. A search warrant led to the recovery of a .22-caliber Walther P22 semi-automatic handgun, which a database check showed was reported stolen in October 2018. Townsel has prior felony convictions, including two for aggravated robbery and one for attempted aggravated robbery, which prohibit her from possessing a firearm under federal law. She faces up to 10 years in federal prison and up to 3 years of supervised release at sentencing before District Judge Mark S. Norris on December 3, 2026. There is no parole in the federal system. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "The presence of a firearm during a crime of domestic violence dramatically increases the chances that the victim will be fatally shot. Through our aggressive federal prosecution of prohibited persons, we can incapacitate and hold dangerous offenders accountable, send a strong message of deterrence, reduce violent crime rates, and ultimately save lives." The case was investigated by the Memphis Police Department as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative and was one of six cases referred for federal prosecution under MPD's Domestic Violence Prolific Offender Initiative. Special Assistant United States Attorney Brandon Wright prosecuted the case.

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