Chaos erupts outside as suspects accused of killing 4-year-old appear in court

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — There was yelling outside the courtroom as tensions ran high when four murder suspects appeared together in court for the first time following the murder of 4-year-old Taliyah Frazier.

23-year-old Trey Dennis, 20-year-old Keimari Johnson, 18-year-old Kenlando Lewis, and 19-year-old Lamarion Buchanan are accused of killing 4-year-old Taliyah Frazier.

Bud Nelson

Police said the suspects opened fire on the car she was riding in at Dickerson Pike and Douglas Avenue. Her mother's boyfriend, Deondre Pruitt, was driving. Wearing a 'Long Live Taliyah' t-shirt, he took the stand.

"I heard the shots and the windows breaking," Pruitt said, "The car started getting shot up, and I tried to pull my kids down…"

Taliyah died after she was shot in the head. Pruitt's 2-year-old twins were also in the car, and one of them was grazed by a bullet but is okay. Pruitt was hit in the arm and showed his scar in court.

Pruitt said it all started when he went to buy some pills under a bridge with the kids in tow before picking up Taliyah's mom from work at the Family Dollar on Dickerson Pike.

The prosecutor asked, "Did you know you were being followed?" And Pruitt said no.

Detective Timothy Skopek took the stand as well. During an interview, one of the suspects indicated that Pruitt was not the intended target. They thought they were going after someone else they had 'beef with.’

According to Skopek, Lamarion Buchanan confessed to him that he was one of the shooters. Buchanan had to be extradited from North Carolina, where he was arrested following the shooting. More details are expected to come out when the case heads to a grand jury.

Emotions were running high, so the judge took a recess late in the afternoon. And in the hallway, words were exchanged which upset Taliyah's family.

Some of the defendants' family members were kicked out of the courthouse before the preliminary hearing resumed.