During Easter brunch celebrations on Sunday afternoon, one individual was fatally shot and at least five others sustained injuries at a Nashville restaurant. Authorities are actively searching for a suspect who reportedly fled the scene in an SUV.
“This was not a shootout …This was one person who decided to pull a gun based on an altercation occurring with another man and then he fired multiple shots,” stated Don Aaron, spokesperson for the Nashville police.
Authorities are searching for Anton Rucker, aged 46, in connection with the shooting. Rucker, identified as a convicted felon, allegedly fled the scene at Roasted restaurant in a Mercedes SUV. The vehicle was discovered overnight, as reported in a Monday morning update from the Metro Nashville Police Department.
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The man who lost his life has been identified as Allen Beachem, aged 33, according to a statement by the Nashville police. However, the names of the other victims have not been disclosed. Police spokesperson Don Aaron mentioned in an afternoon press briefing that the five individuals who sustained injuries are in non-critical condition. Additionally, medical personnel transported another person who may have been grazed by a bullet and a pregnant woman who experienced an apparent panic attack.
According to Aaron, the suspected gunman arrived at the restaurant just minutes before the shooting, accompanied by a woman who also departed with him in the Mercedes SUV.
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Detectives believe the altercation between the deceased individual and the assailant escalated rapidly, as stated by Aaron. The restaurant was packed with patrons at the time, although law enforcement couldn't provide an exact count of the number of people present when the gunfire began.
Anthony McClain, the north precinct commander for the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, described the surveillance footage as depicting "mass chaos" during the shooting.
“Everyone’s trying to get out and trying to escape the gunfire,” he said. “Some people did try to resist the gun, the gunman.”
Police emphasized that there is no evidence suggesting a prior connection between the suspect and the victim, characterizing the shooting as an isolated event.
Photos from the shooting, including one depicting an individual who seems to be wielding a firearm, were shared by authorities on social media.
Authorities released an additional photograph of the suspected gunman seated at a table, urging individuals with any pertinent information to reach out to detectives.
