A devastating eruption of gunfire shattered the celebratory air on Jefferson Street in Nashville yesterday, during Tennessee State University's homecoming week. The mass shooting claimed the life of a 24-year-old man and left nine others wounded, including minors, according to reports from Metro Nashville Police obtained by WSMV. Eyewitness accounts describe chaos, as approximately 100 individuals, found themselves amidst the calamity.
Don Aaron, spokesperson for the MNPD, explained that the violence seemed to stem from an altercation between two groups who opened fire across the street from each other, The Tennessean reports.
Amidst the frantic crowd, first responders, who were already present due to the homecoming events, sprang to action, some using belts as makeshift tourniquets, as recounted by Nashville Fire Department spokesperson Kendra Loney in a statement to WSMV.
The youngest of the victims were three juveniles, treated for non-critical injuries, and the oldest, a 55-year-old woman who was in critical condition, according to The Tennessean. Victims were either transported by the fire department or arrived at medical facilities through private vehicles, indicating the urgency and desperate efforts taken in the wake of the shooting.
Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell expressed his grief and shock over the incident on social media platform X, reflecting on the stark contrast between the day's earlier joyous celebrations and the grim reality that unfolded in the evening.
Earlier today, hundreds of us marched down historic Jefferson Street for homecoming.
— Freddie O’Connell (@freddieoconnell) October 13, 2024
What was a joyous atmosphere is tonight very different because of a senseless act of violence carried out by people who didn’t care who else might be caught in the crossfire.
A witness, Rauf Muhammad told The Tennessean, interpreted the initial shots as sounds from an intense conflict, while Jashawna Rucker, whose account was published by both news outlets, initially mistook the gunfire for fireworks before the realization prompted a desperate dash for safety. The law enforcement presence, credited for containing the situation, couldn't prevent the tragedy that unfolded, affecting both participants and onlookers of the homecoming and community festivities.
The MNPD ongoing investigation has yielded some names potentially connected with the event and detectives were set to interview hospitalized victims, some of whom had prior run-ins with the police, MNPD's Public Information Officer Don Aaron disclosed in a briefing reported by WKRN. They found a handgun at the scene which, together with other evidence, suggests that handguns were used in the crime. The motive behind the gunfire has yet to be definitively established, but early indications suggest it was an isolated conflict rather than a gang-related incident.