NASHVILLE, TENN. – Several people celebrating Independence Day were injured when gunfire rang out in a Davidson County neighborhood. Victims included a young child.
The shooting happened near Charles E. Davis Boulevard and Green Street just south of the Interstate 24/Interstate 40 interchange around 12:30 a.m. Thursday. Police said there were at least five people shot. One of them was a 5-year old girl.
Witnesses told investigators that dozens of people were outside celebrating the holiday when two gunmen began firing shots.
"We were all out having a Fourth of July party, that's what this whole thing is. For every holiday we are out here partying and they came through here shooting," said the little girl's mother, Dnomyar Nelson.
Nelson said the shooting happened quickly.
"Everybody just ran," said Nelson. "It was like a scatter action. Once they heard the gunshots, we all ran into the house."
Officials said the young girl and two teenagers were grazed by a bullet. A man in his 20s was shot in the leg. The four victims were expected to recover, including the girl, who was treated and released.
A fifth victim transported himself to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he was listed in critical condition with non-life threatening injuries.
Police spent much of the night interviewing witnesses and trying to identify the suspects.
"We don't know what the motive was at this point – don't have any evidence to say it's gang-related. [It's] obviously a very dangerous situation and we have officers out in the area. It's a holiday weekend and there's a lot of people outside," said Captain Kenneth Walburn with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.
Walburn said they were believed two suspects were involved in the shooting.
