MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Five months after the fatal shooting of Fisk University student and basketball player Andre Bell, authorities have confirmed that arrests have been made in the case. Bell was shot and killed while driving on a Nashville interstate after leaving an event with two teammates. Police say two teenagers were taken into custody in Murfreesboro on charges that include first-degree murder.
Bell, 20, was killed on Sunday night, January 11, while driving a white Nissan Sentra on I-65 North near the I-40 East junction. Two of his teammates were in the car with him as they returned to campus from a Fisk University gymnastics event at the Nashville Fairgrounds. According to police, the passengers noticed a dark-colored sedan traveling beside them in the left lane moments before gunfire erupted. Bell was struck in the head and died from his injuries. Scroll down for more details and booking video released by Metro PD. Additional information on the case is below the video.
Metro Nashville Police said the investigation, led by Detective Joshua Belk, pointed to jealousy as the alleged motive. Investigators believe Brayden Carter, 18, was upset because his girlfriend, who was on the university’s gymnastics team, had spoken with other young men. Police allege Carter and Damarion Coleman, also 18, were at the fairgrounds that night and later followed Bell and his teammates with the intent of frightening members of the basketball team away from Carter’s girlfriend.
Authorities said extensive cellphone data analysis played a significant role in building the case.
Carter was taken into custody Monday evening by detectives with the Metro what is the TITANS* Unit shortly after leaving his home on Melodic Way in Murfreesboro. Police used what is known as a “vehicle jam,” a coordinated high-risk tactic designed to quickly box in a suspect’s automobile and prevent a possible pursuit. Several cruisers surrounded Carter’s car, and investigators reported recovering a pistol from inside the vehicle. Melodic Way, where the arrest took place, is located off of Veterans Parkway in a town-home neighborhood, situated between Redeemer Classical Academy and Overall Creek Elementary School.
Coleman was arrested early Tuesday morning, June 16, 2026, by Murfreesboro Police SWAT officers at his residence on Chelanie Circle. The street is located in a condominium complex near Florence Road, close to the dead end of Boyd Drive.
Carter has been indicted by a grand jury on one count of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder, and three counts of using a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony. A Criminal Court judge set his bond at $250,000.
Coleman faces the same allegations in Davidson County Juvenile Court. Although he is now 18, police said he was 17 at the time of the fatal shooting. He will remain in custody pending a detention hearing.
Before the arrests, investigators continued searching for suspects and asked the public for help. A reward of up to $35,000 had been offered for information leading to an arrest in the case. Bell’s family contributed $25,000, while the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives offered $5,000, and Nashville Crime Stoppers provided an additional $5,000.
Anyone with additional information about the shooting death of Andre Bell is asked to contact Nashville Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463. Callers can remain anonymous.
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DISCLAIMER: All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The arrest records or information about an arrest that are published or reported on NewsRadio WGNS and www.WGNSradio.com are not an indication of guilt or evidence that an actual crime has been committed. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The arrest records or information about an arrest that are published or reported on NewsRadio WGNS and www.WGNSradio.com are not an indication of guilt or evidence that an actual crime has been committed.
