A homeless man who stabbed three people in downtown Nashville did so in self-defense, witnesses told police.
The incident was reported around 1:45 a.m. Friday between 2nd and 3rd Avenue on Broadway.
Officials with Metro Nashville Police said three people -- identified as 21-year-old Kibron Negash, 24-year-old Mikias Tessema, and 26-year-old Nahom Girmay -- received non-critical stab wounds.
It was believed the three men randomly attacked the unidentified man.
"It appears in this particular incident that there were some individuals who were not minding their own business," Metro police spokesman Don Aaron said.
Throughout Friday, police learned from witnesses that the homeless man stabbed the three men in self-defense.
Authorities said security camera footage from the scene appears to back up those accounts. But that footage doesn't tell the whole story.
"We don't have audio to understand what was being said so we need to understand exactly what prompted all of this," Aaron added.
According to investigators, the knife-wielding man is a 41-year-old individual who is known to them. He fled the area after the stabbing and has not been located.
Detectives followed drops of blood from the scene to the area of Rosa Parks Boulevard and Jefferson Street where they stopped.
The incident happened just minutes after the Nashville Predators celebrated another big win. There were crowds of people along Broadway at the time. However, police reiterated that the area is safe.
"Downtown is a wonderful place for dinner to enjoy yourself, to enjoy Nashville's music," Aaron said. "[It] is extraordinarily safe."
At this point, no charges have been filed.
