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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BFMG) — A 12-year-old boy died Sunday night after he was shot in the head when a fight among a group of young people escalated into gunfire in downtown Nashville, according to police.
Metro Nashville Police said officers assigned to the Entertainment District Unit heard shots fired around 7:30 p.m. Sunday near Union Terrace and rushed to the area, where they found a child suffering from a gunshot wound to the head.
The boy, identified by police as 12-year-old Damarion Morehead, was taken to a hospital in extremely critical condition. Authorities later announced he died from his injuries.
Investigators said a group of an estimated 10 to 15 young people had agreed to meet near the corner of Deadrick Street and Rep. John Lewis Way for a fight. At some point during the altercation, someone opened fire and Morehead was struck, police said.
Two people who were involved in the incident were detained by responding officers and were being interviewed by detectives Sunday night. However, authorities said neither individual is believed to be the shooter, and the search continues for the person who pulled the trigger.
“We really need the community to come together and help us identify the shooter,” Metro Nashville Police Department spokesperson Kris Mumford said during a briefing.
Metro Councilmember Jacob Kupin, who represents the downtown district and lives near the scene, called the shooting “absolutely heartbreaking.”
“We know that in the summertime, kids are out of school and often get into fights and activities that cause problems, and here we have yet another situation where a young person has a firearm and, in the middle of a potentially planned fight, brought that out and someone is in critical condition because of it,” Kupin said.
Kupin noted that the shooting happened just down the block from the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, where a performance of “Hamilton” began at 7 p.m. Sunday. No bystanders were reported hurt, but Kupin said the incident underscores his concerns about safety downtown.
“Access to firearms, especially for young people, is really problematic,” he said. “We just finished our budget season. It’s important as a city to continue to invest in our communities, in our young people, especially, to give them things to do and support them and not let them go down a path where this ends up happening.”
During our research, we located a profile for a missing child listed by the TBI with the same name and the same age. No word on if this is the same child that was reportedly shot overnight, but as this case develops, we will update this story.
Police are urging anyone with information about the shooting, including videos or photos from the area around the time of the incident, to contact Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463. Callers can remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.
Tragically, Damarion Morehead, 12, has died from his injuries. https://t.co/fWqZBy9e5Y
— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) June 22, 2026
