1 dead, several injured after Salemtown restaurant shooting
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Authorities are trying to track down a man wanted in connection with an Easter Sunday shooting in a Salemtown restaurant that left one person dead and sent seven others to the hospital.
According to officials, the shooting was reported just after 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 31 at Roasted Salemtown in the 600 block of Garfield Street, which is near Germantown.
(Source: Metro Nashville Police Department) (Photo: WKRN) (Photo: WKRN) (Photo: WKRN) (Photo: WKRN)
According to the Metro Nashville Police Department, 33-year-old Allen Beachem was shot and killed; five other gunshot victims ended up with non-critical injuries; one person was brought to the hospital with a possible graze wound that was described as a scratch, which could have been sustained by brushing up against a piece of sharp furniture; and a pregnant woman had a panic attack and wanted to go to the hospital to be checked out, even though she was not wounded. In other words, a total of eight people were brought to at least three different hospitals following the shooting, including Beachem.
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Authorities said the gunman opened fire with a pistol during Sunday brunch at Roasted and then left the scene in a Mercedes GLS 450, as seen in the photographs shared by MNPD:
“This was not a shootout, if you will,” stated Don Aaron, a public information officer for MNPD. “This was one person who decided to pull a gun based on an altercation occurring with another man, and then he fired multiple shots, resulting in the injuries I’ve just described.”
According to police, minutes after the suspect arrived at the coffee shop, he and another man — who is believed to be the man who died — got into an argument that “significantly escalated within moments.” However, there is no indication at this time that the two men knew each other.
One neighbor told News 2 she had just returned home from a hike and sat on her porch briefly, when she heard the sound of gunshots.
“Within that five-minute span, I hear like 10, 20 shots, and then like 30 people come running out screaming, all different directions,” Salemtown resident Carly Payne said. “I tried to get back inside. As I’m inside, I’m looking out the window, I see the guy with the gun run around the corner. I assume he drove off or something, but [I] called the police.”
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Authorities said the gunman arrived at Roasted with a female, who left with him after the shooting.
While the motive for the shooting remains unknown, but “it could be something as simple as one person invading another person’s space,” Aaron said.
MNPD Cmdr. Anthony McClain said the coffee shop changed ownership in the last year or so, but before this, law enforcement hasn’t had any significant issues at Roasted. He added that he was surprised to see an incident like this in the Salemtown area, especially on Easter Sunday.
According to McClain, surveillance footage shows “mass chaos” following the shooting, with a lot of people panicking as they tried to get out of the shop and escape the gunfire while some people tried to resist the suspect.
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Members of MNPD’s Homicide Unit are leading the investigation, with assistance from detectives with the TITANS Unit of the Specialized Investigations Division — which specializes in finding individuals responsible for gunfire in neighborhoods — as they work to apprehend the gunman.
On Sunday night, MNPD announced 46-year-old Anton Rucker is wanted in connection with the homicide at Roasted. Not only does he have aggravated assault convictions in Nashville, but he was reportedly arrested in Murfreesboro for felony drug charges last Halloween, as well as assault and gun charges last August.
If you see Rucker or the vehicle photographed above, you are asked to call MNPD at 615-862-8600.
Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell shared his thoughts about the shooting on X, formerly known as Twitter:
Tragically, Easter was disrupted by gun violence in my neighborhood at one of our wonderful small businesses. @MNPDNashville has the area secured, and @NashvilleFD EMS has taken care of victims. My heart goes out to those who had their holiday disrupted by gun violence.
We must continue doing everything in our power at the local level to limit the likelihood and impact of gun violence. We are continuing to increase police capacity, invest in community safety, and working to ensure dispossession of those who should not legally possess firearms.
WATCH: Metro Councilman Jacob Kupin speaks with News 2 after deadly Salemtown shooting
Meanwhile, Metro Councilman Jacob Kupin said he would like to see safer gun storage, especially after so many firearms were stolen from vehicles last year: “Just heartbreaking. I mean, it’s a holiday that’s supposed to be about family and about peace and about taking care of each other, and here we are dealing with another situation of senseless gun violence.”
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This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available.
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