Tragedy struck the Tennessee college community as a promising young athlete was fatally shot on a Nashville freeway, authorities reported on Monday.
Andre Bell, a 20-year-old sophomore at Fisk University hailing from Jackson, Tennessee, succumbed to his injuries at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, according to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.
The unfortunate incident occurred while Bell was returning to campus alongside two friends. The trio had been attending a gymnastics event and were traveling in Bell’s Nissan Sentra on Interstate 65. As they drove, a black sedan pulled up beside them in the left lane, police recounted.
In a shocking turn of events, Bell, who was a talented basketball player for Fisk University, was shot in the head. His friends, who were reportedly distracted by their cellphones, were jolted by the sound of multiple gunshots and realized the gravity of the situation only after Bell was struck, according to a police release.
The tragic scene unfolded as the Sentra, unable to maintain control, slowed down, spun back into traffic, and collided with a red pickup truck. Meanwhile, the dark sedan continued on its path, leaving a community grieving and searching for answers.
The Sentra slowed and spun back into traffic before colliding with a red pickup truck, police said. The dark sedan kept going.
Bell was shot in the head and rushed to the hospital in critical condition before he died.
Investigators said evidence suggests that the car from where the shots were fired likely has windshield damage based on the shattered glass at the scene.
Andre Bell’s Nissan Sentra on I-65 North in Nashville. (Metropolitan Nashville Police Department)
In a statement, Fisk University said it was mourning the tragic loss of Bell, a business administration major.
Fisk men’s basketball head coach Jeremiah Crutcher described Bell as a “gentle young man” who was “unfairly snatched from this world.”
Jubilee Hall at Fisk University on Jan. 1, 2016 in Nashville, Tenn. (Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)
“He was a dominant force on the Fisk University Men’s Basketball team, but he was most remembered for his infectious smile, loving personality, and unique ability to always bring warmth to a room,” he said. “We now have a deep absence in our program, but more importantly, we have a deep pain in our hearts. He will be truly missed. Our thoughts and unwavering prayers are with his family and the little kids in his family and in Nashville who looked up to him.”
