A Nashville man out on bond was cuffed early Sunday after gunfire erupted near a local nightclub, landing six people in the hospital, officials said. According to a report by the Nashville Police Department, Erik Dewaun Williams, 24, faces a half-dozen charges of felony reckless endangerment and another for illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The early morning chaos near the Soho Lounge on Bell Road saw a swift response by TITANS detectives actively on an assignment when a 911 distress call came in -- alerting officers to individuals with firearms engaged in a skirmish. Upon arriving, detectives witnessed Williams with a pistol, which he discarded before attempting to flee, the authorities said. Despite trying, detectives apprehended the man, and his weapon was confiscated.
The incident left six wounded after at least two suspects reportedly opened fire following an argument that spun out of control, police said. Williams is accused of contributing, to the violence unfolding as patrons spilled out of the Soho Lounge. Victims, aged between 18 and 24, were transported to Vanderbilt Hospital with injuries but are said to be in stable condition.
Following the event, three individuals – an 18-year-old woman, a 21-year-old man, and a 22-year-old man, all hailing from Columbia, Tennessee – arrived at the healthcare facility in a private vehicle. The other three victims, a 23-year-old man, a 24-year-old man from Columbia, and a 20-year-old woman from Spring Hill, Tennessee, turned up at the hospital after their getaway car crashed at the intersection of Bell Road and Murfreesboro Pike. They were subsequently transported to Vanderbilt Hospital for treatment.
Williams, who was already out on a $50,000 bond for a pending 2022 case involving similar charges of felony reckless endangerment and unlawful gun possession, will now face justice again with his court date set for next month. In addition, his bond has been upped to $300,000 in the wake of the new arrest, while his criminal record shows prior convictions from 2018 and 2021 in Rutherford and Sumner counties, respectively. The Metro Nashville Police Department's Non-Lethal Shooting Unit continues the investigation into the incident.
