The juvenile identified by police as a suspect in the shooting and carjacking of an Uber driver at a gas station near Nissan Stadium on Thursday morning has a long, violent history, according to officials.

Authorities say he should never have been out of state custody in the first place.

It all began when the Uber driver is pumping gas.

Metro Police tell me, 16-year-old David Early Mays, attempted to carjack the driver at the Exxon market on Shelby Avenue near Nissan Stadium.

The robbery attempt went bad and police said Mays shot Brian Redden, 38, in the lower torso.

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According to officials, Mays is “no stranger to MNPD.”

He was charged last July for robbing a man on Vanderhorst Drive. In that robbery, the teen reportedly took cash and a debit card and stole the man’s 2006 Honda Accord.

Police told New 2 that Mays is also identified as the gunman who approached a 26-year-old victim at a gas station on Music Valley Drive and robbed the man and carjacked his 2016 Nissan Maxima.

Police arrested Mays at that time. He was charged with a slew of crimes including two counts of aggravated robbery.

Here’s the twist: Police told News 2 that Mays was sent to the Department of Child Services (DCS) facility Gateway to Independence on Stewart Lane where he was staying up until February.

Mays wasn’t done the serving time. In fact, DCS did something that seems unusual — they gave the violent teen a weekend pass to leave the facility.

It was no surprise, police told News 2, when they were notified Mays never returned to the facility on Feb. 3. Officers have been looking for Mays ever since.

DCS spokeswoman Carrie Weir released the following statement to News 2:

“DCS cannot speak specifically about a case or a child or youth in state custody. But, two things that may be helpful to your story: Youth in Juvenile Justice custody can earn home passes if they meet the criteria in place by their treatment program. When a youth in Juvenile Justice custody runs away, there is a policy and a protocol in place. Youth must be reported missing. The youth’s caseworker and the DCS Absconder Unit work together to search for runaways. Law enforcement always is notified and DCS works in cooperation with law enforcement to find the youth. You can read the specifics here.”

“The department will review the home pass policy and make any necessary changes,” Weir later told News 2. “Ensuring the safety of the community is of prime importance to the department.”

This morning, in connection with the shooting at the Exxon on Shelby Avenue, a juvenile court order was issued for Mays for attempted especially aggravated robbery.

Redden’s injuries are considered serious but he is expected to survive. He underwent surgery Wednesday night at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Police officials say Mays was driving a stolen Acura MDX, which was stolen from Ackland Avenue on March 4 after the owner left the keys inside the SUV.

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A witness told police they heard a shot fired and saw the suspect running away. A photo line up was conducted by officers at the scene, and Mays was positively identified.

Police later recovered the stolen Acura after it was dumped at an apartment complex on Creekwood Drive.

Mays (pictured) is a black male around 5-foot-5-inches tall. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt.

Anyone that sees Mays or has information regarding his whereabouts is urged to call Metro Police immediately at 615-862-8600. Police say he should be considered armed and dangerous, and he should not be approached.

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