NASHVILLE, TN – The manhunt remains underway for a suspect who authorities allege initiated gunfire within a restaurant in Salemtown on Easter Sunday. The incident resulted in one person dead and numerous others wounded.
Anton Rucker, 46, has been identified by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) as the suspected shooter. Authorities said Rucker started the shooting during the Sunday brunch at Roasted Salemtown, located in the 600 block of Garfield Street, just after 3 p.m. on March 31.
Following the tumultuous event, Rucker purportedly exited the scene alongside an unknown woman in a Mercedes GLS 450. The said vehicle was traced later near 26th Avenue North and Jefferson Street.
Rucker’s criminal record includes aggravated assault convictions in Nashville. He was apprehended in Murfreesboro in October on severe drug-related charges and was embroiled in assault and gun charges in August last year. He is currently required for homicide regarding the Sunday incident.
According to MNPD, Rucker initiated a dispute with another man soon after entering the restaurant, leading to a rapid escalation.
The aftermath of the gunfire left 33-year-old Allen Beachem dead, with five other gunshot victims sustaining non-critical injuries. In total, eight people, including Beachem, were rushed to a minimum of three hospitals after the shooting.
The motive behind the violent offense remains to be determined, according to officials, who suggest it could’ve been triggered by an intrusion into someone’s personal space.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has included Rucker in its “Most Wanted” shortlist and is proposing a $2,500 reward to anyone providing information that results in Rucker’s detention. Rucker is considered to be armed and perilous, as informed by the TBI.