One Dead, Five Wounded After Gunfire Erupts at Nashville Restaurant During Easter Brunch
Police say a man pulled a pistol during a fight inside Roasted on Garfield Street on Sunday afternoon, killing one person and wounding five others.
By Brianna Jackson ·
One person was killed and five others were wounded when a shooting broke out during Easter brunch at Roasted, a restaurant on Garfield Street in Nashville, on Sunday, March 31, 2024.
According to Metro Nashville police, the gunfire began at about 3 p.m. inside the restaurant. Six people in all were struck by bullets. Police identified the man who died as Allen Beachem, 33. Metro Nashville PD said on social media that the other victims' injuries were not critical. A pregnant woman was also taken to a hospital after suffering a panic attack.
Police named Anton Rucker, 46, as the suspect. He was last arrested in October in Murfreesboro. Investigators said he left the scene in a Mercedes GLS 450, and that vehicle was later found Sunday night near 26th Avenue North and Jefferson Street.
Authorities stressed that the incident was not a shootout. Instead, they said, one man became involved in an altercation and drew a pistol in the middle of the fight. The gunman had arrived only minutes before the shooting began, police said, and there is no evidence that the people who were fighting knew one another beforehand. Detectives are still working to establish a motive.
Officers interviewed victims at three different hospitals to gather accounts of what they saw. Police also released 911 calls that captured the chaos inside the restaurant after the shots were fired.
Carly Payne, who lives nearby and saw the aftermath, described her shock at the violence on a holiday. "It's Easter Sunday, everybody's dressed up, last thing you'd expect," she said. "My heart was out of my chest, I knew I needed to get inside, and then obviously I knew first thing was to call 911."
Mayor Freddie O'Connell, whose Salemtown neighborhood includes the restaurant, expressed sorrow over the shooting in a social media post Sunday evening. "Tragically, Easter was disrupted by gun violence in my neighborhood at one of our wonderful small businesses," he wrote, adding that police had secured the area and Nashville Fire Department EMS had cared for the victims. "My heart goes out to those who had their holiday disrupted by gun violence," he said.
Police are asking anyone with information about the suspect to call 615-862-8600.
Originally published by News Media House · Source: NewsChannel 5 Nashville (WTVF)
