More than a year after a rolling gunfight on Interstate 24 left a 20-year-old passenger mortally wounded, a Davidson County grand jury has indicted two men in the killing of De'Angelo Black, prosecutors and police say.
The indictments, returned Friday, name 21-year-old Qlando Moore and 34-year-old Markist Jones in connection with the December 2024 shooting. Metro Nashville Police say the case grew out of an argument that started at a North Nashville gas station and then spilled onto the interstate as two vehicles headed toward downtown. Black, riding in the back seat of a Saturn Ion, was the only person hit during the exchange of gunfire and later died at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The new charges mark the biggest development yet for a young family that has been waiting more than a year for movement in the case.
According to WSMV, Moore faces a murder indictment along with three counts of felony reckless endangerment, three counts of aggravated assault, using a gun in the commission of a dangerous felony and evidence tampering. He is being held at the Metro Jail without bond. Jones was indicted on murder and evidence-tampering charges and, police said, is already incarcerated in a Tennessee prison on separate drug- and weapons-related convictions. Prosecutors brought both cases to the grand jury after homicide investigators identified the suspects during their probe.
Per WSMV's earlier reporting, Metro Nashville Police say the two groups first clashed at a North Nashville gas station. The other vehicle then followed the Saturn onto I-40, and gunfire broke out as both cars merged onto I-24 near the Silliman Evans Bridge. Black, who was seated in the back, was the only person struck and was rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he later died. Detectives later located the suspected vehicle unoccupied outside an apartment complex, according to the station.
Suspects' Records
Public filings in Davidson County show earlier bond activity for a man named Markist Jones, according to Davidson County court records. Those entries list prior cases under Jones's name, although the documents do not address the I-24 homicide or the new indictments.
According to the obituary published by Terrell Broady Funeral Home, De'Angelo Darnell Black Jr. was born Feb. 15, 2004. Funeral services were scheduled for Dec. 28, 2024, at Bethlehem United Primitive Baptist Church in Nashville. The obituary confirms Black's name and age and outlines the arrangements his family made following his death.
Why This Matters Locally
Law enforcement and neighborhood advocates have been raising alarms about shootings that erupt on Nashville roadways, where fast-moving cars and easily accessed guns can turn a traffic dispute into a deadly scene in seconds. A Metro Nashville Police Department release notes that most guns reported stolen in the city are taken from vehicles. Officials say that pattern increases the odds that everyday conflicts, including those on the interstate, escalate into lethal encounters when firearms are close at hand, according to the department's reporting.
What’s Next
Both men are expected back in Davidson County court for arraignments and pretrial hearings. Moore is set to remain in the Metro Jail while the case moves forward, and Jones will continue serving his existing state sentence as the new charges proceed. Prosecutors will decide what additional evidence to present before trial, and any conviction on the murder counts could bring lengthy prison terms under Tennessee law.
Metro Nashville Police are still asking anyone with information about the I-24 shooting to contact the department.
