Teen shot outside downtown Nashville bus station
Police say the suspect and victim were involved in an altercation that led to the shooting outside WeGo Central station.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - An 18-year-old man was shot multiple times on the steps of the WeGo Central bus station in downtown Nashville on Thursday evening.
Metro Nashville Police said the shooting happened at 5:50 p.m. after two men had an argument on the steps of the bus station.
Police said Kenneth Johnson, 31, shot the victim multiple times before running from the scene. The victim may have fired one shot in return. The victim was hit six times and was transported in critical condition to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, according to police. He has since been stabilized and is expected to recover.
Police said Johnson was spotted running away by an off-duty MNPD officer working extra duty for WeGo Transit. The officer yelled at Johnson to stop, and the suspect threw down his gun and continued running toward the downtown area. Police said Johnson eventually stopped running, laid down, and surrendered.
Police said the argument may have been related to drugs. Johnson was allegedly in possession of cocaine and marijuana when he was arrested. Police said there was also cocaine in the area where the teen was shot.
Johnson claims he was reacting to the victim pulling his gun first, and he fired in self-defense, according to his arrest affidavit. Video surveillance shows otherwise, as detectives can clearly see Johnson stand up from a seated position, produce a firearm first, and initiate the gunfire, the affidavit states.
Johnson, who police say is a convicted felon, will face charges in connection to Thursday’s shooting in addition to possibly being a felon in possession of a handgun. Police said he was convicted in 2011 for aggravated assault and 2012 for carjacking.
WeGo released the following statement to WSMV4:
We appreciate the swift response from MNPD Officers who were at WeGo Central when the incident happened. Our Safety and Security team and Metro Police work diligently to keep our facilities safe. We are assisting police in their criminal investigation.
WeGo is working with a security consultant firm in a review that includes:
- Completing a comprehensive, all-hazards, and system-wide threat, and vulnerability analysis.
- Recommendations for placement of emergency call boxes, emergency messaging systems, intrusion alarms, and panic/distress alarms.
- Conducting an in-depth analysis of the current security staffing model and recommending alternatives.
- An in-depth analysis of security technology systems, including CCTV, digital video management, access control, intrusion, and panic/distress alarms.
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