On Tuesday night, September 26, an incident occurred near the intersection of Lewis and Lafayette Streets in South Nashville. A 23-year-old woman, who was eight months pregnant, became the victim of a shooting while seated in a vehicle.
While she was rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center and is currently in stable condition, her unborn daughter did not survive.
Nashville police’s preliminary investigation paints a picture of the events leading up to the shooting.
Witnesses recounted seeing several individuals on the 600 block of Lewis Street’s sidewalk when a black Nissan Maxima pulled up. A woman got out of the car’s rear seat and proceeded to discharge bear mace onto the crowd. This action caused an abrupt dispersal of the bystanders.
Following her actions, the woman quickly re-entered the vehicle, with the soon-to-be victim seated in the passenger seat.
Moments later, Dermarius Claybrooks Jr, 23, retaliated by shooting at the Nissan Maxima, inadvertently injuring the pregnant woman. He has been charged with criminal homicide. The vehicle was later located on Decatur Street the subsequent morning.
It is believed that the bear mace spraying is connected with a dispute between several women. The authorities have urged anyone with relevant information to step forward and assist the investigation.