What started as a burst of gunfire south of downtown Nashville ended with a blood trail, a battered apartment wall, and a local man in handcuffs. Metro Nashville police say last Friday’s shooting left at least one person wounded and sent rounds into a nearby apartment where a mother and her children were inside, shaking neighbors in the blocks just beyond the central business district. The case is now in prosecutors’ hands and still under the microscope of investigators.
Arrest and what police allege
According to court documents obtained by WKRN, officers heard gunshots in the 900 block of 1st Avenue South last Friday and found cartridge casings where the shots first rang out. Detectives then followed a blood trail that led them to an AR-15 style rifle. Surveillance footage reportedly showed the man later identified in arrest records as Kito Boyce holding that rifle and running from officers, then falling and crawling to the spot where he was found.
Court records state that a victim was shot in the 50 block of Carroll Street and suffered two gunshot wounds. They also say an apartment in the University Court area was struck by bullets while a mother and her children were inside. No additional injuries from that apartment were reported in the documents.
Boyce was arrested Monday. He has been charged with felony reckless aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, felony assault/reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon, felony false reporting, and misdemeanor evading arrest. His bond was set at $22,500.
Where this fits in local trends
City officials have been pointing to a broader downward trend in violent crime. Per the Nashville DA's Office and MNPD data, homicides and nonfatal shooting injuries fell in 2025 even as isolated incidents continue to hit neighborhoods. People living and working in the affected blocks say that despite the overall stats, episodes like last week’s gunfire keep them on edge as they wait for more answers.
Investigation remains active
Authorities say the investigation is still active and have not released further details about a possible motive or whether anyone else may have been involved, according to WKRN. Court documents and surveillance footage are among the pieces of evidence being reviewed as prosecutors consider their next steps in the case.
