Police are questioning a suspect after a customer was shot dead inside a Target store in Nashville, Tennessee.
Officers with the Metro Nashville Police Department responded to the store at the Nashville West Shopping Center in the 6800 block of Charlotte Pike at around 7.30 p.m. on Sunday.
Police spokesman Don Aaron told The Tennessean that the 40-year-old victim was shot near the store’s electronics department. He died in the store, Aaron said.
The victim had been shopping with a female acquaintance for around five minutes when the shooting took place, Aaron said.
The suspect, a 29-year-old man, ran out of the store’s front entrance along with other panicked customers, he said. The suspect went to a vehicle in the store’s parking lot and got in. He then got out and the driver of the vehicle left.
The suspect then returned to the store, placed a gun in a planter and turned himself over to police.
A motive for the shooting was not immediately known, Aaron said, but he added that it appeared to be a targeted attack. The suspect, who has not been named, was taken to police headquarters for questioning.
The store was evacuated and Target said it will remain closed as the police department investigates the shooting.
“The safety and security of our guests is Target’s top priority,” a Target spokesperson said in a statement.
“Earlier this evening, one guest shot another in the Target store on Charlotte Pike. We immediately evacuated the building, called law enforcement and focused on keeping our team and guests safe.
“The store is currently closed while the Metro Nashville Police Department investigates the shooting. We’ve shown Metro Nashville PD the security videos and will provide them with whatever they need for their investigation.”
The police department has been contacted for additional comment.
The shooting comes just over a week after a bombing devastated several blocks in downtown Nashville early on Christmas Day.
Officials said 63-year-old Anthony Warner was responsible for the RV explosion.
The vehicle had blared a warning that a bomb would detonate before it switched to playing Petula Clark’s hit song “Downtown” shortly before the blast.
Warner was killed in the blast, which also injured several people and damaged dozens of buildings in the area. Authorities have not yet released a motive for the attack.
A view outside a Target retail store is seen on July 16, 2020 in Pembroke Pines, Florida. Johnny Louis/Getty Images
