Man accused of deadly I-240 shooting claims self-defense, records show

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - A man arrested for a deadly shooting on Interstate 240 over the weekend claimed self-defense but did not explain key elements to his story, including why he took off and returned without his gun, records show.

Robert Hudson, 29, was charged with second-degree murder in a shooting that took place during the early hours of Sunday, June 22, along eastbound I-240 near the Airways Boulevard exit, according to the Memphis Police Department (MPD).

The man shot and killed was identified as John Engram.

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Court documents state that Engram was with two women in a car that had left Beale Street to go to an "after-hours party" when Hudson called the group. The two women got into a fight after one of them was upset at the other for not telling Hudson where they were going "because she was afraid of him," records allege.

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The fight led the driver to pull the car over on the interstate, records show.

Court documents say that Hudson used his phone to track the group's location and parked next to their car. Hudson then pulled one of the women out of the car by her hair, leading Engram to hit him in the head, records show.

One of the women later told investigators that she saw Hudson shoot Engram. 

Records allege that Hudson took off only to return about 5 minutes later but without his gun.

Hudson later told police that he shot Engram twice in self-defense after being struck in the head. Hudson allegedly told officers that they were struggling over a gun that fell out of Hudson's pocket and that the gun fired twice. He was not, according to MPD, able to explain why four shell casings were found at the scene, nor why his gun was missing. MPD also said there were no powder burns when Engram was shot in the chest. 

FOX13 Investigates discovered that was out on bond for another shooting at the time of the incident. Court records show that Hudson was charged with two counts of aggravated assault in 2023. That April, police claim Hudson shot multiple people in a neighborhood. All of those victims survived and one identified Hudson in a photo lineup. He bailed out of jail for $10,000 and has been out of custody ever since.