Woman, man killed in East Nashville bar shooting, police step-up patrols for suspects

Show Caption Hide Caption East Nashville shooting Cobra bar: Police give update Don Aaron, Nashville Police Dept. spokesman, provides more details on a double fatal shooting that took place outside The Cobra in East Nashville.

A man and a woman were killed in a shooting early Friday morning in the parking lot of an East Nashville bar and music venue in what police spokesman Don Aaron called "senseless, cold-blooded homicides." The shooting is also the latest in a recent series of shootings in the area targeting seemingly random victims.

Metro Nashville police were called to The Cobra, 2511 Gallatin Ave. around 3:30 a.m. regarding the robbery turned fatal shooting.

Police identified the female victim as Jaime Sarrantonio, 30. The male victim, Bartley Teal, had just turned 33 on Friday. Both are from Nashville.

The fatal shooting victims, along with another man and woman who were not shot, had left the bar around 3 a.m. and walked to a nearby convenience store to get snacks, police said.

The four walked back to the parking lot, where they were shot during the apparent robbery at 3:26 a.m. according to police.

Witnesses told police that the two suspects demanded Teal's belongings, shooting him when he replied he didn't have anything. Detectives say it's unclear why Sarrantonio was killed.

East Nashville Cobra shooting: Woman, man killed police say A man and a woman were killed early morning Friday

Teal was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, while Sarrantonio was taken to Tristar Skyline Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

Teal died during surgery Friday morning, said Metro police spokesman Don Aaron.

Police said they have since recovered several items taken from the victims in an alley off 23rd Avenue North and Heiman Street in North Nashville, although would not disclose what the items were. The belongings are being processed at the police department's crime laboratory.

On its Facebook page, The Cobra posted Friday morning that it would be closed for the day.

"Hug your loved ones," the post said.

Similar shootings in East Nashville, Madison

Spokesman Don Aaron said police were stepping up patrols as they search for "cold-blooded killers" who have "no respect for the sanctity of human life."

Detectives say they have leads on the possible suspects, described as two men — at least one with dreadlocks, traveling in a small Chevrolet car.

Police say they are looking strongly at a potential connection with a recent fatal shooting in Madison, where a man was shot and killed while walking to a bus stop on his way to work in Madison.

They're also not ruling out a connection to a shooting that left a woman paralyzed in Inglewood last Wednesday. She was shot in the back while walking her dogs at night.

Police have said the suspect descriptions in each case have been similar, though no arrests have been made in those crimes.

East Precinct Commander David Imhof said flex officers in the precinct would be shifting their work times to be able to patrol during the early morning hours when the shootings have taken place.

Anyone with information on the shootings is asked to call 615-742-7463.

Reach Natalie Allison at nallison@tennessean.com. Follow her on Twitter at @natalie_allison.