MURFREESBORO - Gunshot-detection sensors lit up Murfreesboro’s Real Time Crime Center early Tuesday, sending officers to a Rushwood Drive home where shots had been fired into the house, police said. No one inside was hurt, and detectives later arrested two suspects who were booked into the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center.
How the Real Time Crime Center Tracked the Drive-By
Murfreesboro’s Real Time Crime Center ties together acoustic gunshot-detection sensors, automatic license plate readers, and public safety cameras, according to the Murfreesboro Police Department. Department materials say analysts watch those feeds in real time and can push gunfire alerts and related video straight to officers in the field when sensors pick up shots.
Arrests and Charges
According to WSMV, detectives charged 34-year-old LaSpecial Cantrell and 35-year-old Harvey Haynes with three counts of reckless endangerment. Haynes is also accused of being a felon in possession of a firearm and of prohibited-weapon violations tied to an alleged Glock switch. Investigators said they executed a search warrant and recovered the gun believed to have been used in the shooting, and a third person who allegedly drove by and fired shots has not been charged.
Technology at Work Across the City
City records and earlier releases credit the Real Time Crime Center with hundreds of “successes,” ranging from investigative leads to recovered vehicles, since it went live, according to a city news release. Local reporting has documented similar cases in which the mix of sensors, cameras and plate readers helped officers track suspects. For more on how the system has been deployed, see previous coverage from the Murfreesboro Police Department and this report on three arrested after technology helps track suspects.
Investigation and What Comes Next
Investigators told WSMV they believe Cantrell may have been the intended target following an argument with a boyfriend over the weekend, and the investigation remains active. Police are asking anyone with information to contact the Murfreesboro Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division.
The case highlights how Murfreesboro is leaning on surveillance tools and analytics to respond to gunfire in situations where bystanders do not call 911. The prosecution will move forward in Rutherford County courts while detectives and prosecutors continue their work.
