NASHVILLE, Tenn.- Metro Police said robbery was the motive behind a double shooting Friday night in North Nashville near Tennessee State University. The shooting sent two teenagers to the hospital, one of them in critical condition.
Police said the shooting occurred just before 9 p.m. in the 900 block of Taylor Merritt Court near Michigan Avenue. Witnesses told police there was a large group of people gathered outside, when a gunman walked up to the victims demanding their belongings and money. When they refused the suspect fired a shot into the ground.
"At that time the crowd that was on the street disbursed. The victims started to run. As they were running they were both shot. One was shot and sustained life threatening injuries," said Captain Kenneth Walburn of Metro Police.
One victim was shot in the abdomen and taken by ambulance to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he remains in critical condition. The other shooting victim was not hurt as seriously and was taken to Centennial Medical Center. The victims names have not been released.
At one point police thought they had a suspect in custody. They found a man who matched the suspect's description and took him back to the scene but it turned out he was not the person responsible for the shooting.
Detectives are looking for a 16 to 17-year-old black male with braces who was wearing a dark hat and a dark v-neck t-shirt.
Call the West Precinct at 615-862-7747 or Crime Stoppers at 74-CRIME if you have any information regarding the shooting.
