Nashville shooting: Tennessee State University’s homecoming festivities rocked by tragedy

A gunman has opened fire near a university in Nashville in the US, with at least one person dead.

One person is dead and nine people are injured after a gunman opened fire just before a homecoming football game in Nashville Tennessee.

The shooting took place near Tennessee State University (TSU) on Saturday evening US time and bystanders have been left shaken.

Local publication The Tennessean has also spoken to two bystanders. Rauf Muhammad was selling food when the gunfire erupted.

He said he immediately dropped to the ground.

“Everybody having fun, music playing or whatnot. Then all of a sudden, you just hear like you off in a war somewhere,” Muhammad told the local publication.

Jashawna Ruckur, a recent high school graduate, told the publication he was on the street when the shooting began.

“I was so close to it. I thought it was just fireworks. And everybody was just running. And I started running. I almost fell.”

Police spokesman Don Aaron told reporters that there was an “exchange of gun-fire between two groups”.

‘There was gun shots from one side of the street and then from the other side of the street.”

Mr Aaron said that Jefferson Street, which had been closed for celebrations had only been reopened for 20 minutes before the shooting began.

“The crowd from earlier in the day had begun to thin out but the parking lots were still full,” he said.

Police spokesman Don Aaron told reporters that there was an “exchange of gun-fire between two groups”. Picture: CBS

Mr Aaaron also revealed that a gun had been found. Picture: CBS

Mr Aaron elaborated further and shared more details about the gunmen involved.

“We are confident that at least one of the people at a local hospital was involved in the actual gunfire and was shooting.”

“We have one gun recovered at the scene, it was found in the street”

Brooke Reese, a spokesperson for the Nashville Police Department, revealed that five people have now been taken to the hospital in ambulances and the other five in private cars.

“At this point, there are 10 victims who have been confirmed to have been involved in that gunfire, one of which is deceased,” Mr Reese told reporters.

The metro Nashville Police tweeted that an 24-year-old man has died.

Police have reported one person has died from the shooting. Picture: iStock

Multiple victims have been injured following a shooting. Picture: X/MetroNashvillePD

He added some of the people being treated for injuries are also “suspected to have been involved in the gunfire”.

It has been reported that a 55-year-old woman is critically injured and non-critically injured children are being treated.

The Tennesseannewspaper reported that the university was quick to react to news of the shooting.

Students were sent a text to warn them that was there was an active shooting taking place nearby.

Nashville Fire Department spokesperson Kendra Loney has also spoken to the press and shared that originally, the department thought the gunshots were fireworks and were part of the homecoming festivities.

Mr Loney than shared that the department immediately began helping injured people once they realised what was going on.

“Our personnel recounted to me some moments where they ripped off their belts and did things like, use those as tourniquets, because they did not have their medical bags with them,” Loney said.

Despite the shooting the university continued on with homecoming events, including the football game, where they played against Eastern Illinois University.

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell shared his sadness that a joyful day had been overshadowed by such tragic events.

“Earlier today, hundreds of us marched down historic Jefferson Street for homecoming. 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.

More to come

Originally published as Nashville shooting: Tennessee State University’s homecoming festivities rocked by tragedy