Police said the boy was shot during a fight near Union Terrace on Sunday night.
NASHVILLE, TN — A 24-year-old man was charged with criminal homicide Monday after police said he fatally shot 12-year-old Damarion Morehead during a fight in downtown Nashville on Sunday night.
The shooting drew a quick response from Metro Nashville police and city officials because it happened near busy downtown streets and involved a child. Police said the case moved from an emergency call to a homicide investigation within hours, with detectives using witness accounts, surveillance footage and an interview with the suspect to build the charge.
Officers assigned to the Entertainment District Unit responded about 7:30 p.m. Sunday to reports of shots fired near Rep. John Lewis Way and Deaderick Street, police said. They found Damarion at Union Terrace with a gunshot wound to the head. He was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in extremely critical condition and later died. Police identified the suspect as Devin Orr and said detectives arrested him early Monday at a residence on Fisk Street. A police social media post said, “Tragically, Damarion Morehead, 12, has died from his injuries,” after the department first reported the shooting.
Investigators said a group of about 10 to 15 teenagers had gathered in the area for what appeared to be a planned fight. According to an arrest affidavit described by local outlets, surveillance video showed six or seven people, including Damarion, fighting with Orr. The affidavit said the group struck Orr with punches and kicks to his head. Police said Orr then pulled a handgun from his waistband as the group began to run. Two shots were heard, and Damarion was seen falling to the ground. Investigators said the fight was believed to be over a female, but they have not released a full account of what led up to the gathering.
Police said detectives detained multiple people who were involved before focusing on Orr as the suspected shooter. Authorities said the firearm believed to have been used in the shooting was found in a sewer on Charlotte Pike after Orr told investigators he had hidden it there. The arrest record described the shooting as taking place in a courtyard area near Rep. John Lewis Way and Deaderick Street, close to the Tennessee Performing Arts Center. Police have not said whether any other person suffered a gunshot wound. They also have not released the names or ages of others seen in the video, aside from Damarion.
The case now moves through Davidson County’s criminal court system. Orr was booked on a criminal homicide charge, and no bond had been set as of Monday afternoon, according to court information reported by local media. A judge reviewed the case Monday morning, and another court appearance was scheduled for Wednesday at 9:55 a.m. Prosecutors had not announced any additional charges by Monday. The investigation remained open, and police had not said whether more arrests were expected. The affidavit and video evidence will likely be central to early court arguments over the facts of the confrontation and the shooting.
Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell called the violence involving young people “heartbreaking” and said the city was mourning the death of a child. O’Connell said he appreciated the quick work of officers who responded Sunday and investigators who identified and arrested the alleged shooter. The mayor also thanked medical responders who treated Damarion after the shooting. His statement placed the killing within a broader concern about youth violence in Nashville, while police continued to focus on the evidence in the homicide case. The downtown scene, normally filled with traffic, workers and visitors, became a crime scene Sunday night as officers secured the area and interviewed witnesses.
By Tuesday, Orr remained charged in Damarion’s death, and police had recovered the gun they said was used. The next public milestone in the case was the scheduled Wednesday morning court appearance.
Author note: Last updated June 23, 2026.