Almost one month after announcing a transportation plan focused on more busses, Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell reportedly requested a full safety review of the city’s public transportation service, WeGo, after a man was shot six times on the steps of the bus station located at Rep John Lewis Way & MLK Jr Blvd, according to WSMV.
On Thursday, the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) announced that a 31-year-old convicted felon was arrested for the shooting of an 18-year-old at the bus stop earlier in the day.
“Convicted felon Kenneth Johnson, 31, is in custody for the 5:50 p.m. shooting of an 18 yr old man on the steps of the WeGo building at Rep John Lewis Way & MLK Jr Blvd. Johnson dropped his gun after an MNPD officer working at the bus station ordered him to,” MNPD announced Thursday evening.
MNPD later announced that the motive behind the shooting appeared to be drug-related, as cocaine and marijuana were recovered at the scene.
“A drug motive is under investigation. Apparent cocaine & marijuana were recovered. The 18-year-old victim also had a gun and fired. He is in critical-stable condition. Johnson will be charged with felonies related to the shooting later tonight,” MNPD added Thursday evening.
The mayor’s request for a safety review comes as his $3.1 billion transit plan, “Choose How You Move: An All-Access Pass to Sidewalks, Signals, Service, and Safety,” would allocate tax dollars to expand WeGo’s services through additional bus routes and bus stations through a half-cent increase of the city’s sales tax.
In addition to new and extended bus routes and $653 million in “WeGo Essentials,” O’Connell’s plan would also include the construction of new sidewalks, bus stops, transit centers, parking facilities, and upgraded traffic signals.
“WeGo Essentials,” according to the mayor’s plan, includes bus stop upgrades, transit centers, park and rides, and the garages to hold and maintain WeGo’s fleet of modern buses.
If Nashville voters approve of O’Connell’s transit plan, it would cost $3.1 billion in initial costs and $111 million in recurring costs.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Freddie O’Connell” by Freddie O’Connell.
Anyone else notice the high level of the majority of the NoGo riders – the few that there are?! I cannot wait for Freddy the Freeloader to bring such quality to Sumner County. Gag!