Police seek suspect in targeted shooting at Opry Mills mall food court that injured one
Nashville TN October 1 2020 Metro Nashville police are asking the public for help in locating a suspect who opened fire inside Opry Mills mall in Nashville Wednesday night and shot a man.
Spokesman Don Aaron said the shooting took place after 6 p.m. when two groups of people inside the mall approached one another, both armed.
A suspect, who hasn’t yet been identified by authorities, pulled out a gun and fired at least three rounds and struck a 19-year-old man who was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where Aaron said he is in critical condition.
Aaron said they identified the teenager but it wasn’t immediately released to the public.
Two guns were recovered from the mall’s parking lot near the movie theater.
“This is clearly, from the (surveillance) video, not a random act,” Aaron told reporters at the scene.
Aaron said it doesn’t appear from video footage that an altercation or face-to-face encounter occurred before the shooting. Police believe the two groups knew each other.
Aaron said the shooting occurred about 100 yards from the food court near T-Mobile and Tilly’s.
No one was taken into custody immediately after the shooting and the suspect remains at large Wednesday evening.
“There were innocent persons around and near them at the time,” Aaron said.
Multiple people reported being inside the mall when the shooting took place.
Police had taped off part of the parking lot around the back side of the mall, while people were still coming and going from the front of the mall.
Metro police say this man shot another man in a targeted shooting inside Opry Mills Mall at 6:10 p.m. Wednesday. The victim is in critical condition.
Police released a photo of the suspected shooter.
Anyone with information about the suspect or the shooting is asked to call police at 615-742-7463.
Tennessean
