Man Killed, Nine Injured In Tennessee State University

Two groups fired shots at each other as crowds from a Tennessee State University homecoming parade were thinning out Saturday, killing one man and injuring nine others, including children.

Nashville police said a 24-year-old man died in the gunfire that erupted off campus on Jefferson Street around 5:10 p.m., after the parade was over but as parking lots were still full of people.

“We can tell from the shell casings that there were gunshots from one side of the street, and then on the other side of the street,” police spokesman Don Aaron told reporters.

According to NBC News, much of the crowd had left to go to the Tennessee State Tigers-Eastern Illinois Panthers game in Nashville when the shooting erupted.

As of when filing this report, police had not identified the victims. Their conditions vary, from people who were grazed by gunfire to people with critical injuries.

The three children who were shot, one 12-year-old and two 14-year-olds, all have injuries that are not critical.

Police are investigating how many shooters there were and believe at least one person who is in the hospital fired shots.

Detectives were also interviewing people who were shot. Some of the hospitalized people are known to police from past interactions.

“We are confident that things are beginning to come together,” Aaron said.

Handguns are believed to have been used, and police found one gun in the street.

He said the shooting was especially unexpected because of the number of police officers and other public safety officials who were working the event.

“There were police officers everywhere,” Aaron said.

Some of the firefighters who rendered aid were there just to enjoy themselves, Nashville Fire Department spokesperson Kendra Loney said.

“Our personnel recounted to me some moments where they ripped off their belts and did things like use those as tourniquets.

“We are upset. We are angry,” she said,” Loney said.

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell condemned the violence. He said hundreds of people marched down Jefferson during the homecoming event.

“What was a joyous atmosphere is tonight very different because of a senseless act of violence carried out by people who didn’t care who else might be caught in the crossfire,” he wrote on X.