A Nashville man remains hospitalized after he was shot following an apparent fight to which he was not a party, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department. The shooting occurred less than one day after the death of Belmont University freshman Jillian Ludwig, another innocent bystander who was allegedly shot in the head by Shaquille Taylor on Tuesday.
Police initially described the victim as a man in his 50s who was shot after a fight between two men ended in gunfire in North Nashville, according to WSMV. Police Spokesman Don Aaron told The Tennessee Star the victim is expected to survive, and will be interviewed to ascertain the circumstances that led to the shooting after he recovers.
Aaron told The Star the shooting was reported after the 50-year-old victim entered his girlfriend’s home “at approximately 3:45 a.m. suffering from a gunshot wound.” The victim was “apparently hanging out with a friend prior,” and Aaron told The Star the victim’s friend “may have been the intended target” of the shooting. Aaron said police do not know where the shooting occurred, and indicated police do not believe it happened at the address where the victim’s injury was reported.
In its original statement, MNPD reported the victim was shot in the chest, and the department confirmed to The Star that he continues to receive treatment at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Aaron did not provide new information about the victim’s identity, or comment on whether there is new information about potential suspects, but stated the victim will be interviewed to determine “the detailed circumstances” that led to the shooting.
The last innocent bystander shot in a Nashville shooting was Ludwig. She died on Thursday after being shot in the head on Tuesday while walking near the Belmont University campus. Her alleged assailant was accused of committing a carjacking during a September 21 arrest, and he violated his $10,000 bond by missing court on November 3.
Taylor remains in police custody with a new bond of $280,000, and the charges against him are expected to be upgraded to murder charges.
Following Taylor’s arrest, Nashville District Attorney General Glenn Funk released a statement blaming Tennessee law for not providing for individuals accused of crimes who are deemed incompetent to stand trial. Taylor was previously accused of committing felony aggravated assault in 2021 but was released in 2023 after being deemed mentally incompetent.
The Star identified the Nashville magistrate responsible for setting the low, $10,000 bond for Taylor as Steve Holzapfel on Friday. Holzapfel has apparently held the position since at least 2004.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News and the Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Crime Scene Tape” by Tony Webster. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Should change the name of the city to Memphis East