A hail of gunfire directed at a Metro Nashville detective spurred an intense vehicle chase across city lines, resulting in the arrest of five armed suspects, authorities reported. The incident began late Monday, June 24, when the undercover detective, surveilling an area with historical ties to gun violence, encountered the suspects on Howerton Street and North 6th Street, as reported by WKRN.
An MNPD detective came under fire Mon night on Howerton St. More than 30 shots were fired. 5 men were arrested. Six guns, some with fully automatic modifications, were seized. Here's a link to MNPD helicopter footage from Nashville to Wilson Co. https://t.co/E27BCHBjOT pic.twitter.com/qQK6JBApFr
— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) June 26, 2024
More than 30 rounds were fired at the detective as he attempted to retreat in his undercover vehicle, which he had steered down Howerton Street to secure a better viewing point of the group he had seen clutching firearms in a nearby parking lot, the hail of bullets raced past him, and the perpetrators fled in a car identified as a stolen Infiniti Q50, starting a high-speed pursuit that moved swiftly through the streets and onto Interstate 40 leading into Wilson County, as detailed by WKRN.
In the aftermath, the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) launched a manhunt resulting in the capture of the suspects, identified as Eric O. Mario, 23, Ronny I. Edmonds, 19, Mahamed M. Muganga, 18, Abraham G. Mario, 19, and Omar A. Yussuf, 18, all residents of Nashville, aided by helicopter surveillance that helped track the stolen vehicle, as per WSMV. The five individuals face a litany of charges, including aggravated assault on a first responder, auto theft, and felony marijuana possession, "Detective Lawson is extremely fortunate not to have been shot Monday night while working to reduce gun violence in our city through precision policing," MNPD shared in a communicative release.
