A one-year-old child was fatally shot and the baby's mother was wounded following a dispute reportedly centered around loud music at a Murfreesboro apartment complex, according to local authorities. The Murfreesboro Police Department responded to the scene at Chelsea Place Apartments on Bradyville Pike, with the distressing events unfolding shortly after 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, as stated in a report by WKRN.
The alleged shooter, Marquavious Hampton, a 24-year-old from Chapel Hill, entered into a physical altercation with the mother over her playing of loud music, during which he discharged a firearm at the infant seated in a stroller and injured the mother as she tried to protect her child, according to WSMV. The baby was pronounced dead at the scene by Rutherford County Emergency Medical Services, while the mother received hospital treatment for a gunshot wound to her hand.
In the wake of the shooting, law enforcement utilized license plate reader cameras to track down Hampton's vehicle, a white Dodge Charger; a "Be on the Lookout" alert was consequently issued and the vehicle was later spotted in Williamson County, triggering a pursuit by sheriff's office deputies, the chase came to an end when Hampton ran from his vehicle into a field and was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, as detailed by the Williamson County Sheriff's Office and reported by WGNS Radio.
Authorities described the incident as a domestic violence situation and reminded the public that support is available for those experiencing domestic violence, sharing the Domestic Violence Hotline at 615-896-2012 for assistance. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating the incident, which concluded without additional harm to law enforcement personnel or other civilians, and the Criminal Investigations Violent Crime Unit of the Murfreesboro Police Department continues to examine the shooting. The Murfreesboro Police statement emphasized that this was an isolated event involving individuals who were familiar with each other.
