NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — At least seven teens and children have been killed in Davidson County so far this year, most of them in incidents involving firearms.
Preliminary data compiled by the Metro Nashville Police Department's Crime Analysis Section shows teens and children between the ages of 0 and 17 years old have made up a little more than 16% of homicide victims so far in 2024.
The latest incident involved a 13-year-old boy who was shot and killed Wednesday night at a park near Bellevue Middle School. Metro police said Aayden Hayes was shot multiple times after a fight broke out between him and some other teenagers.
Investigators believe the two groups of teens initially met at the park to fight over "an on-going dispute between girls from each group." Aayden's 16-year-old sister was also struck by the gunfire, but officials said her injuries are considered non-life-threatening.
The alleged shooter, a 15-year-old boy, was taken into custody about a half-mile up the road from the park. An ATF dog also located the suspect's weapon — a nine-millimeter semi-automatic gun that officials said was reported stolen in 2023.
Following the shooting, multiple officials took to social media to express their concerns and share their condolences, with Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell stating in part, “My heart breaks tonight for the families who experienced first hand the tragedy of gun violence in a park in Bellevue."
Two other teens were also killed in a shooting by a middle school just a little over three months ago. Police said the Feb. 8 shooting in the parking lot of Meigs Magnet School appeared to be "targeted" and may have had a drug motive.
The two teens, 16-year-old Takeo Bills of Chapel Hill, and 17-year-old Jalen McAdams of Franklin, drove to the East Nashville school together, where another teen was already parked waiting for them in a black Honda Accord.
After the two teens pulled into the parking lot, they all got into the same car, at which point investigators said Bills and McAdams were shot. McAdams died at the scene, but Bills died shortly after arriving at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
In total, there have been 37 homicides reported in Nashville and Davidson County since the beginning of the year — a 19.6% decrease from the same time last year. However, the number of juvenile homicide victims remains slightly higher than previous years.
According to preliminary data, the number of victims so far this year is more than double the number of teens and children killed by the end of May in 2022. Reports indicate that only three juveniles had died in homicides by then.
The number of juvenile homicide victims was higher last year, largely due to a March 27 mass shooting at The Covenant School. By May 2023, six teens and children had been killed — three of which were Covenant School students.
When comparing the same time period in previous years, the preliminary data shows children and teens have made up less than 12% of all homicide victims in Davidson County for at least the last three years prior to 2024.
The data compiled by the MNPD Crime Analysis Section is sourced from incident reports using Uniform Crime Reporting definitions, and while officials say it is reviewed for accuracy and completeness, it does not reflect official counts.