Tragedy struck this weekend on Bell Road when shots were fired into a vehicle containing four teens, leaving two 17-year-old girls injured, one sustaining serious injuries, in a seemingly random outbreak of violence. The Specialized Investigations Division of the Nashville Police Department has commenced a search for the unidentified gunman responsible for the shooting, which occurred around 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, as the teens were making their way to the Wilson County Fair.
The victims were riding as backseat passengers when the assailant, driving a sedan, opened fire on them near Woodland Pointe Drive, according to a report by the Nashville police department; the 18-year-old driver and another 17-year-old passenger in the front seat escaped the hail of bullets unharmed and rushed to get help for their friends. In their frantic search for medical assistance, they mistakenly pulled up to the Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute, which was not equipped for trauma care, forcing them to call 911 in desperation as the precious minutes slipped away.
Paramedics responded promptly, transporting the teenage girls to TriStar Skyline Medical Center, where one is being treated for non-critical injuries to the shoulder, while the other teen's condition is more dire. As the investigation continues, detectives are piecing together the events that led to the shooting, with the teens recounting to authorities how they had noticed the suspect's car driving erratically before the gunfire erupted; their own vehicle had passed the sedan multiple times before the attack.
The Nashville Police Department has issued a call for witnesses, asking anyone with information about the shooting to come forward and contact Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463.
