Nashville shootings: Police take two into custody for questioning in East Nashville, Madison killings

Holly Meyer | The Tennessean

Show Caption Hide Caption Nashville shootings: Two taken into custody for questioning after manhunt Lacory Lytle and Demontrey Logsdon were taken into custody for questioning by MNPD in connection with a series of shootings in East Nashville.

Nashville police have two men in custody for questioning in a series of East Nashville and Madison killings.

Late Monday afternoon, Nashville police tweeted they had found Demontrey Logsdon, 20. Lacory Lytle, 24, turned himself Monday afternoon into the East Precinct. The two are wanted for questioning in a Friday morning shooting at The Cobra bar that killed two people and the Tuesday shooting that killed one man in Madison, according to a news release from police.

BREAKING: Demontrey Logsdon just taken into custody by the MNPD Gang Unit & deputy U.S. Marshals at a residence on Dr. D.B. Todd Boulevard. pic.twitter.com/A76R0WpHvc — Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) August 20, 2018

"We want to bring them in for questioning," said Kris Mumford, a Metro police spokeswoman.

Police said Lytle used the stolen credit card of one of the surviving robbery victims at Cobra at a grocery store and arrested him on charges of theft.

Logsdon was arrested on an outstanding warrant on a charge of kidnapping.

BREAKING: Community's help needed in locating Lacory Lytle, 24, & Demontrey Logsdon, 20, who are wanted for questioning in the murders of 2 persons outside the Cobra bar last Friday and the murder of a man last Tue on Alta Loma Rd. See Lytle or Logsdon? Pls call 615-742-7463 pic.twitter.com/X58DUZKSFM — Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) August 20, 2018

Police identified these two for questioning because of surveillance images, recovered physical evidence and observations by officers. Police are not releasing the images nor could they share more specific information about what led police to want to talk to them, Mumford said.

Around 4:40 p.m. Monday, Metro police announced its gang unit and deputy U.S. Marshals had taken Logsdon into custody at a residence on Dr. D.B. Todd Boulevard.

Soon after, police were seen stringing yellow crime scene tape around a beige duplex with a short gravel driveway near the intersection with 17th Avenue.

The scene quickly grew tense. A crowd of about 20 bystanders gathered as police waited for a warrant so they could search the house, and some in the crowd began to heckle and curse at the cops, then threatened journalists who tried to interview them or take photographs. One woman, who shouted that she was a relative of Logsdon and a resident of the beige home, insisted the police had the wrong man.

"He ain't never held anybody up!" she shouted. "We ain't never pulled a trigger in his damn life!"

The shootings have put the community on edge.

Friday morning fatal shooting

Around 3:30 a.m. Friday, Jaime Sarrantonio, 30, and Bartley Teal, 33, both of Nashville, were shot in the parking lot of The Cobra at 2511 Gallatin Ave., police said. They both died from their injuries.

Sarrantonio and Teal had gone to a nearby convenience store for snacks. After walking back to the bar's parking lot, two men in a dark-colored sedan pulled up and got out of the car to rob them, police said. The suspects drove away and dumped the victims' belongings in a North Nashville alley.

Two people, a 34-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman, were with Sarrantonio and Teal. They are robbery victims, but were not shot, police said.

Tuesday morning fatal shooting

Around 5 a.m. Tuesday, Kendall Rice, 31, was walking in the 100 block of Alta Loma Road to catch a city bus to work. Witnesses say a dark-colored sedan drove up behind him and two men inside shot Rice with a rifle before leaving, police said.

He was pronounced dead at the scene and his personal belongings were missing.

The suspects

In the aftermath of the shootings, police said they were looking for two men, including one with shoulder-length dreadlocks.

"We're asking the community to come forward with any tips regarding these homicides and other crimes regardless of description," Mumford said on Monday. "We do have some vague descriptions in some of these cases and we would very much not want to rule anyone out or anything out."

On Friday morning, police released a surveillance photo taken in The Cobra parking lot that shows a man standing outside a dark sedan, which police describe as a small, dark, late model Chevrolet. It could be a Cruze or a Cobalt.

The suspects dumped The Cobra victims' belongings in an obscure alley in the 1400 block of 23rd Avenue North. Police think the suspects are likely familiar with the area around 23rd Avenue North and Heiman Street.

Other shootings and robberies

Victims and witnesses in other recent shootings and robberies in East Nashville and Madison shared similarities.

However, police want to talk to Lytle and Logsdon specifically about the two fatal shootings at The Cobra and on Alta Loma Road, Mumford said.

"The reason we're focusing on these cases is due to evidence that we recovered," Mumford said. "That does not rule out other cases, but these are the focus due to the investigation to this point."

Police ask anyone who sees them or with information about his whereabouts to call Crime Stoppers Nashville at 615-742-7463. They can remain anonymous and qualify for a cash reward.

This is a developing story.

Dave Boucher, Brett Kelman and Nate Rau contributed to this report.

Reach Holly Meyer at hmeyer@tennessean.com or 615-259-8241 and on Twitter @HollyAMeyer.