1 dead, 4 wounded in shooting at Nashville restaurant during packed Easter brunch service
One person was killed and four others were wounded when a gunman opened fire inside a Nashville restaurant during Easter Sunday brunch service, authorities said.
Gunfire rang out inside Roasted, a popular brunch spot at 614 Garfield St. in the Salemtown section of the city, just before 3 p.m., Metro Nashville police said.
One man was shot and killed and several others were hurt but are expected to survive, police said.
Four people suffered either gunshot or graze wounds and were rushed to local hospitals via ambulance, The Tennessean reported.
Roasted — which describes itself as “a safe haven where community thrives, love is in the air, and good times are shared” — was packed with customers, including some children, who were dining out for the Christian holiday before the gunfire erupted, according to social media posts.
The restaurant was full of people dancing to a DJ, sipping mimosas and taking photos with a staffer dressed as the Easter bunny, Roasted’s Instagram stories show.
But the joyous event turned deadly when a man decided to pull out a gun in the middle of the restaurant, according to a photo of the suspect released by Metro Nashville police.
A woman in a nearby playground told The Tennessean she heard about eight gunshots and then saw customers rush out of Roasted, screaming and crying.
One person yelled “Breathe!” to someone who was on the ground, Dia Settle told the local newspaper.
Settle was with a group of mothers playing with their kids in the playground.
“Everyone was grabbing the children and running or dropping on the ground,” she said. “I got waves of chills because I could tell someone was hurt, just from the sound and that many gunshots.”
Several ambulances rushed to the eatery and took away patrons, including a pregnant woman, the mothers told the paper.
A neighbor who asked not to be named told the publication that he spoke to a man who was walking away from the restaurant with his young daughter.
Both the father and daughter were crying, he said.
The man reportedly told him that he was dancing in Roasted with his daughter when two men began arguing and one pulled a gun, according to the outlet.
Police have not released any information about a motive in the shooting.
“Detectives are working to determine the motive for this gunman opening fire during Sunday brunch at Roasted on Garfield St.,” Metro Nashville police said in a statement.
The suspected shooter fled the restaurant in a Mercedes GLS 450 and remains at large, police said.
Cops have asked anyone who recognizes him to call 615-862-8600.
