The reward for information in the killing of Fisk University student and basketball player Andre Bell has surged to $35,000, as Metro Nashville detectives try to shake loose new tips in the baffling interstate shooting that stunned the campus and city in January.
The latest update came in a March 12 post from the Metro Nashville Police Department on Facebook, which said the pooled reward is on the table for information that leads to an arrest or indictment. The department also reminded the public that Crime Stoppers callers can stay anonymous and may still qualify for the cash, and urged anyone with dashcam footage or sightings from the area to reach out.
What Police Say Happened
Investigators say Bell, 20, was driving a white Nissan Sentra with two fellow students, heading back to campus after a gymnastics event, when a dark colored sedan pulled up alongside them and someone inside opened fire, according to witness accounts given to police. WSMV reported that the Sentra slowed after the gunfire and collided with a pickup truck. Bell was rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center and died the following day. Hoodline’s earlier coverage ran in January under the headline Fisk student critically injured.
Earlier Rewards and Agency Involvement
In mid January, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives added a $5,000 reward, on top of Nashville Crime Stoppers’ $5,000 offer, bringing the publicly announced rewards at that time to $10,000, according to a Metro Nashville Police Department press release. The Metro Nashville Police Department noted the ATF’s participation as detectives continued to chase leads. Officials have not announced a motive and say the investigation is still very much active.
How To Tip Investigators
Anyone with information or dashcam video from just after 8 p.m. on Jan. 11 is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463. Callers can stay anonymous and will be given a code number for reward eligibility, according to WSMV. Detectives say even a short clip that happens to show a dark sedan in that stretch of roadway could be crucial and are urging drivers to comb through any recordings from that night. Tips can also be shared directly with MNPD’s Homicide Unit.
Fisk University Responds
Fisk University released a statement identifying Bell as a sophomore Business Administration major and a member of the men’s basketball team. The university called his death “devastating” and said the campus community is grieving, with the statement posted on its website. Fisk University also asked for privacy for Bell’s family as investigators work the case.
What Investigators Still Want
Detectives are still looking for the dark colored sedan, which may have windshield damage, and for anyone who saw or recorded that vehicle on I-65 near the I-40 junction. NewsChannel 5 reported that police are asking drivers to check any dashcam footage from that stretch and to contact authorities if they spot anything that could help. Officials say the increased reward is meant to spark fresh leads as the search for Bell’s killer continues.
