The streets of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, witnessed a string of violent drive-by shootings last week, leading to multiple arrests by the local police force. As reported in a social media post by the Murfreesboro Police Department, six suspects have been apprehended while another remains at large in what appears to be a series of targeted incidents, marred by retaliatory gunfire.
The escalation began at the Abbington Apartments last Sunday, when a blue Volkswagen sedan was used as a weapon, its occupant opening fire and hitting two apartments, though, fortunately, leaving no physical wounds on its occupants. Two 16-year-olds and a 20-year-old, Kevin Hatter, were taken into custody. According to the post by the Murfreesboro Police Department, Hatter is being charged with a host of offenses, including reckless endangerment and possession of an altered tag, while the minors face separate undisclosed charges.
In what detectives describe as retaliatory action, the supposed targets of the first shooting allegedly fired upon a group of mini-bike riders the very next day—fortunately, again, no one was hurt. Ke’Marion Bass, 19, and Kameron Dunnaway, 18, were arrested and charged with felony counts of reckless endangerment and vandalism. Authorities are still on the hunt for 19-year-old Ny’Esha Lawrence, who remains elusive.
But the violence reached a regrettable nadir when a stray bullet reportedly fired by Benjamin Hicks, 19, found its way into an innocent 11-year-old girl’s bedroom at the Green Meadows Apartments. Hicks, who police say targeted Bass and Dunnaway in another retaliatory strike, also damaged vehicles in the process and now faces a slew of charges including attempted first-degree murder. "These were all targeted shootings," the Murfreesboro Police Department's post outlines, involving a "small group of individuals."
The judicial process has begun to unfold for those in custody: Hatter’s bond is set at $63,500 with a court date on September 8, while the detained Bass and Dunnaway are each held on $36,000 bonds, sharing the same court date. Hicks, facing the most severe charges, has his bond steeply set at $1 million. As the community reels from this outbreak of gun violence, Murfreesboro authorities are pressing forward, seeking to restore a sense of peace and avert any further tragedies.
