Man shot multiple times at WeGo bus station in downtown Nashville
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A 20-year-old man was injured in a shooting at the WeGo bus station in downtown Nashville Friday morning.
Officers were called to the station located at 400 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard around 6:30 a.m. The victim was shot on the outdoor steps between the station and Municipal Auditorium.
WeGo leaders detail transit safety measures in wake of recent violent incidents
(Photo: WKRN) (Photo: WKRN) (Photo: WKRN) (Photo: WKRN)
According to Metro police, a man was shot at least three times at the bus station. He was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.
The suspected shooter was identified by authorities as 19-year-old Dejuan Prime. He was charged with attempted criminal homicide and using a gun in the commission of a dangerous felony.
Prime was captured shortly after the shooting in a parking lot near Junior Gilliam Way and Rep. John Lewis Way. His gun, a nine millimeter semi-automatic, was removed from his waistband by the arresting officer who noticed Prime matched the description of the shooter, which had just been issued to officers.
The victim told officers he was walking at the bus station and noticed Prime, whom he did not know, staring at him, according to a release. He said Prime began following and threatening him and he told Prime to get away. Metro police reported he threw a cup of coffee on Prime and began to run but Prime followed, caught up with him on the steps, and began shooting.
A WeGo spokesperson released a statement on the shooting, which reads:
“We appreciate that MNPD has an enhanced police presence in that area of downtown. We will continue to work closely with them and assist however needed.”
Eric Melcher | Public Information Officer | WeGo Transit
No additional information on the shooting was immediately released.
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On Thursday, May 23, leaders behind WeGo Public Transit addressed safety concerns after two recent incidents in Nashville, one of them happening on a bus.
A bus operator was attacked by a person with a knife on Monday, May 20. That incident follows a shooting on Thursday, May 16 where two people got into an argument and one of them ended up shot and injured on the steps of WeGo Central.
According to the numbers presented at Thursday’s meeting, WeGo has increased spending on
contracted security services from 1.2 to 2.4 million from 2017 to 2024 and expect to invest more. Each bus is also outfitted with three to 16 cameras and there are plans to give them real-time capabilities so emergency responses can be quicker.
WeGo gives around 30,000 rides each day and WeGo Central sees roughly 15,000 visitors daily.
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