The gunman who fatally shot another man during a dispute at a Tennessee mall has turned himself in to authorities on Thursday.
Justin Golson is said to have gunned down Demarco Churchwell, 22, at approximately 2.20pm at the Opry Mills Mall in Nashville on Thursday.
According to police, Golson – also 22 – was said to have ran off to a ticket booth so that he could ditch the gun on a counter.
Justin Golson (left) is said to have gunned down Demarco Churchwell, 22, (right) at approximately 2.20pm at the Opry Mills Mall in Nashville on Thursday
According to police, Golson – also 22 – was said to have ran off from the mall to a ticket booth so that he could ditch the gun on a counter
He was seen by a retired California police officer who ordered him to lie down on the ground while they waited on authorities, according to News Channel 5.
‘He was a really good guy, smart, he was good looking, all the females loved him, no lie,’ a member of Churchwell’s family said.
‘But I mean it’s just sad because I mean, he ain’t harm nobody he was a good guy. I mean it’s just sad to see somebody go that way I want everybody to keep our family in our prayers.’
‘He was good in basketball. He loved his family. He loved his friends. He made sure everybody was straight. He took care of his family.’
‘He was a really good guy, smart, he was good looking, all the females loved him, no lie,’ a member of Churchwell’s family said
They added: ‘He was good in basketball. He loved his family. He loved his friends. He made sure everybody was straight. He took care of his family’
The mall was evacuated but police quickly had the suspected shooter in custody. He was seen by a retired California police officer who ordered him to lie down on the ground while they waited on authorities
Police were called to a scene nearby Forever 21 and Old Navy, where the 22-year-old man allegedly shot the man in the neck.
‘There was an altercation by a booth earlier, and then a dude came back and shot him in the neck,’ witness Jordan Hall told the Tennessean.
‘Then he ran off and let off a few more shots apparently.’
The man was flown to Skyline Medical Center in a critical condition, and later died.
The man was shot about 2.30pm, and police were still active on the scene at 6pm
A statement from the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department released soon after said the suspected shooter is in custody
The shooter immediately surrendered his weapon (pictured), a small pistol, to police
A statement from the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department released soon after said the suspected shooter is in custody.
‘Shooting at Opry Mills appears to have been the result of an ongoing dispute between two males,’ the statement read.
‘One of them was critically wounded. The suspected gunman left the mall building and immediately surrendered.’
Police later revealed the shooter had surrendered a small pistol and was being taken in for questioning.
‘The shooting was preceded by a physical altercation between the [shooter and victim],’ a statement shared to Twitter read.
Other people were reportedly part of the altercation, and are being interviewed by police, WKRN reported.
A retired policeman from California was at the scene and detained the shooter until police arrived, Fox News reported.
Police said the suspected gunman ‘immediately surrendered’ to police after the shooting
Police said the alleged shooter walked to the ticket booth, and immediately placed his gun on the ticket booth counter and told workers to call 911.
The mall has been evacuated and three nearby schools were placed on lock down.
Images from WKRN show authorities continuing to do chest compressions on the victim as he was taken on a stretcher from the ambulance to inside the hospital.
After the shooter was taken into custody, the mall was swept by police as a precaution.
Janeen Morris, an Englishwoman who lives in LA, was on a tour of the famous music hall the Grand Ole Opry when the shooting broke out.
‘There are about 40 people in here. We were on a tour. It feel tense but organized,’ she said.
‘The Opry staff are being very supportive. We’ve been in here for about an hour and 20 minutes now.’
After the shooter was taken into custody, the mall was swept by police as a precaution
Churchwell was airlifted to Skyline Medical Center in a critical condition and later died
Florida woman Victoria Greene was at Opry Mills with her husband and son when the shot was fired.
‘My husband and I took our son Bentley to the mall, and he wanted to go on the bungee, which is about two stores down from Forever 21,’ she told DailyMail.com.
‘We were jumping, and everything was fine, and we heard what sounded like a skateboard pop and all of a sudden the ride technician’s face turned to terrified, and she looked at me and said ‘get him [my son] out now’.
‘My husband ran over and yanked him out, and we were all running, there was a stampede of people running out.
‘We threw our kids in the car and took off, but there were still people trying to go in the mall. It was the most terrifying thing.’
Opry Mills Mall will remain closed for the rest of the day, WKRN reported.
The mall is only 15 miles north of a Waffle House, where four people were killed in a separate shooting on April 22.
The mall is only 15 miles north of a Waffle House, where four people were killed in a separate shooting on April 22