NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A tragic incident unfolded at a Nashville restaurant on Sunday afternoon, leaving one man dead and five others injured in a shooting incident. The violence erupted around 3 p.m. in the Salemtown neighborhood as a male suspect entered the restaurant with a woman, sparking a fatal altercation.
According to Metropolitan Nashville Police Department spokesman Don Aaron, the suspect and the deceased victim, identified as 33-year-old Allen Beachem, quickly became embroiled in a heated argument that escalated into violence within moments of the suspect’s arrival. The conditions of the other victims involved in the shooting have not been disclosed by authorities.
Law enforcement officials later identified a 46-year-old suspect and the vehicle used to flee the scene through security footage provided by the restaurant. As the search for the suspect continued, police shared images of the shooting scene on social media platforms, including a photo showing the suspect brandishing a handgun.
During a press conference, Aaron emphasized that the gunman was the sole individual who displayed a firearm during the incident, clarifying that it was not a shootout but rather an act of violence stemming from a verbal dispute between individuals. Panic ensued inside the restaurant as patrons attempted to flee, with Police Commander Anthony McClain recounting the chaotic scene where some individuals tried to confront the gunman amid the confusion.
Witness accounts suggest that the shooting may have been spurred by a minor altercation between the suspect and the deceased victim, prompting investigators to conduct interviews with the injured parties at local hospitals in an effort to piece together the sequence of events leading up to the tragic outcome. The investigation is ongoing as authorities work to uncover the motives behind the deadly shooting in Nashville.