NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — One person was killed and two people are in stable condition after a shooting Friday evening at an apartment complex in East Nashville.
Metro Nashville Police were called to an apartment building in the 300 block of South 4th Street around 6:15 p.m. for a reported shooting.
Police have identified the deceased individual as David Montez Mitchell, 35. The incident began after the alleged attempted robbery of Deshawn Baker, 47, inside an apartment.
In an interview with officials, Baker told detectives that he was pistol-whipped by Dijon Simon, 33, after inviting Simon and Mitchell into his apartment. Baker's friend, Mario Sowell, 47, was also in the apartment at the time of the incident.
After being struck by Simon's handgun, Baker and Simon began fighting over the weapon and multiple shots were fired during the struggle between the two men.
Mitchell was struck by the gunfire and pulled out his own gun, but early investigations show that he is not believed to have fired the weapon during the incident. Mitchell was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he later died.
Sowell was also transported to the Vanderbilt, where he is recovering from a gunshot wound. He is in stable condition.
Officials recovered two handguns from the scene. One was reported stolen in 2021.
Police report that Simon and Baker both fled the scene by the time officers arrived at the apartment complex. Simon was later located in a nearby apartment with a gunshot wound. He was transported to Vanderbilt where he remains in stable condition.
Baker called to speak to detectives and has since been interviewed at the MNPD headquarters. He was later released after a consultation with the District Attorney's Office.
The investigation is ongoing and no further information is available at this time.
Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
-Bree Smith
