Both the shooter and the victim in Thursday’s shooting at the Opry Mills Mall in Nashville, Tennessee were identified late Thursday afternoon.
The victim was Demarco Churchwell, a 22-year-old Nashville native who died as a result of his injuries after being rushed to the Skyline Medical Center. The suspected shooter was identified as Justin Golson, also 22.
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The man fatally wounded in Opry Mills Mall is Demarco Churchwell, 22, of Nashville (left). The suspected shooter is Justin Golson, 22, of Antioch (right). He is in custody and being interviewed. pic.twitter.com/RqtimzPpEj
— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) May 3, 2018
“The man fatally wounded in Opry Mills Mall is Demarco Churchwell, 22, of Nashville (left),” the Metro Nashville Police Department reported via Twitter. The suspected shooter is Justin Golson, 22, of Antioch (right). He is in custody and being interviewed.”
MNPD confirmed earlier in the afternoon with Associated Press that Golson willingly surrendered his weapon and himself to the authorities when they arrived. The shooting took place after the two reportedly got into an argument.
“Dispute at Opry Mills Mall results in gunfire. One person shot. Suspected shooter in custody. No additional imminent threat known. Mall being swept by MNPD officers as a precaution,” the department wrote on its Twitter account. “Shooting at Opry Mills appears to have been the result of an ongoing dispute between 2 males. 1 of them was critically wounded. The suspected gunman left the mall building and immediately surrendered.”
The weapon, a pistol, was also revealed by the MNPD.
This is the pistol surrendered by the 22-year-old suspected shooter in the Opry Mills case. He has been taken to an MNPD facility to be interviewed. The 22-year-old shooting victim has died. The shooting was preceded by a physical altercation between the two. pic.twitter.com/OhT2jIZl23
— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) May 3, 2018
“This is the pistol surrendered by the 22-year-old suspected shooter in the Opry Mills case,” the account wrote. “He has been taken to an MNPD facility to be interviewed. The 22-year-old shooting victim has died. The shooting was preceded by a physical altercation between the two.”
The mall was quickly evacuated after the shooting, and several building in the immediate area including the Grand Ole Opry House, a local convention center and several schools were put on lockdown.
Numerous Twitter users inside the building gave their live accounts of the incident.
“Here’s what I can personally verify,” a Twitter user who was inside the building wrote. “It was a shooting, at least 1 person shot (news is reporting 4, but I don’t personally know if that’s a fact), happened in the mall main walking area (not in a store) near the employee entrance closest to Forever21 + Johnny Rockets.”
“Active shooter in Opry Mills I’m stuck in the back of the store everyone is okay besides a kid getting shot in the neck,” wrote another.
