MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The quiet block of Oaklawn Place in Southaven became the center of heartbreak Tuesday after a house fire claimed the lives of Tom Wright, 87, and his son Tyler Wright, 32, a loss that has shaken family, friends, and neighbors to the core.
Police and emergency crews were called to the 800 block of Oaklawn Place, near Rasco Road and Elmore, after reports of a fire tearing through the home. When the smoke cleared, authorities confirmed that Tom and Tyler did not survive. Tyler’s mother, Karla Wright, was pulled from the house and rushed to the hospital, where she is now recovering.
The Wrights were more than just residents of Southaven. They were a family people knew. People trusted. People admired. News of their deaths spread quickly, leaving many struggling to understand how a normal day could end in such sudden tragedy.
Friends remember Tyler as a standout athlete and an even better person. At Southaven High School, he made his mark in both football and baseball, earning respect not just for his talent, but for his character. “Tyler was a football star, a baseball star, very popular,” said Dalton Dawson, a longtime family friend. “He got along with everybody. Everybody loved him. This is just devastating.”
Dawson said he and Tyler became best friends back in elementary school, a friendship that followed them into adulthood. In the days after the fire, Dawson started a GoFundMe campaign to help the family handle funeral expenses and to support Karla Wright as she faces a long road of recovery. He said the goal is simple: to give her breathing room during an incredibly painful time.
“Recovery for their mother, Mrs. Karla,” Dawson explained, “and just helping her with bills or anything she may need in the next year or so. That’s what this is about.”
Authorities have not yet released the cause of the fire. Investigators say the case remains open as they work to determine exactly what sparked the blaze. For now, answers are still pending, and the waiting only adds to the family’s grief.
In Southaven, the focus has shifted from questions to remembrance. Neighbors are sharing stories. Friends are leaning on each other. And the Wright family is being remembered not for the way they died, but for how they lived — close, kind, and deeply connected to their community.
