College basketball player dead at 20 after being shot on Nashville highway returning to campus
Andre Bell, a 20-year-old college basketball player, has died after being left critically injured following a shooting in Nashville on Sunday.
Bell, a sophomore at Fisk University where he was studying Business Administration, died from his injuries at Vanderbilt University Medical Center on Monday.
The Tennessee native had been driving back to campus on the I-65 north highway with two friends after attending a gymnastics event at the fairgrounds on Sunday evening, according to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.
Bell’s friends noticed a dark sedan in the left lane beside them, according to the police report. Both said that they were distracted by their cellphones when they suddenly heard multiple gunshots and realized Bell had been hit.
Bell’s white Nissan Sentra is said to have slowed and spun back into traffic, colliding with a red pickup truck, whole the dark sedan continued moving.
‘Evidence suggests that the car from which the shots were fired likely has windshield damage based on the shattered glass at the scene,’ the MNPD wrote.
Andre Bell, a 20-year-old college basketball player, has died after being shot on Sunday
Bell had been driving on the I-65 north highway in Nashville when he was shot at
He was a sophomore at Fisk University where he was studying Business Administration
Bell suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was rushed to the hospital in critical condition but sadly succumbed to his injuries on Monday.
The MNPD’s Homicide Unit has opened an investigation into the fatal shooting. However, a motive is currently unclear.
‘Our Fisk Athletics family is absolutely devastated by the news that one of our own has been taken from us in a senseless act of violence,’ Fisk Athletics Director Valencia Jordan wrote, adding that Bell was ‘headed back to campus after volunteering to help with our Fisk University gymnastics meet when this tragic incident occurred.’
‘Our hearts go out to his family at this most difficult time,’ Jordan continued. ‘We will stand with them and support them in every way possible. We are a family that learns, loves, plays, and prays together and will continue to do so. Counseling is being provided for our team of athletes who are understandably heartbroken.’
Fisk basketball coach Jeremiah Crutcher added: ‘Today, we lost a leader on and off the basketball court. Andre ‘Dre,’ a young, bright, and gentle young man, was unfairly snatched from this world.’
Crutcher went on to note that while Bell was a ‘dominant force’ on the court, he ‘was most remembered for his infectious smile, loving personality, and unique ability to always bring warmth to a room.’
‘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,’ Crutcher continued.
The MNPD urged anyone with information on the dark sedan or dashcam footage from the area of the incident just after 8pm Sunday night to come forward by contacting Crime Stoppers on 615-742-7463.
