Fatal Tenn. campus shooting started over dice game

Natalie Neysa Alund and Jordan Buie | The Tennessean

Show Caption Hide Caption One killed in Tennessee campus shooting One person was killed and three hurt in a shooting on the campus of Tennessee State University in Nashville on Thursday night. The school says the person killed was not a student. (Oct. 23)

NASHVILLE — Police continued to search Friday for a gunman responsible for a fatal shooting that left one person dead on the campus of Tennessee State University late Thursday.

Don Aaron, spokesman for the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, said a group of individuals were playing a dice game on a quad on campus in a courtyard when a physical fight erupted around 10:50 p.m. Central time.

At some point, someone involved the game pulled out a gun and started firing multiple rounds. A 19-year-old man, who police say was not a student, died at the scene. In addition, three 18-year-old female students, who happened to be walking by were struck by gunfire, Aaron said.

One woman was grazed by a bullet but did not seek medical attention, Aaron said. The two other women were transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center to be treated for non-life threatening injuries, said university spokesman Emmanuel Freeman. One of them was treated and released. The other woman remains hospitalized in stable condition Friday morning and was expected to be released soon, police said.

A number of other students, he said, were also in the area passing by but were not hit by the barrage of bullets.

The campus was closed Friday — as part of its routine schedule. Classes were expected to resume Monday, Freeman said.

The victim's name was being withheld pending notification of his next of kin, Freeman said Friday.

"We do not believe this was an incidence of a random shooter on campus," Aaron said. "This was an isolated incident resulting from a dispute over a dice game. The Nashville Police Department believes this campus is safe."

Aaron said the suspect in the shooting fled the scene on foot. It's unknown whether the suspect is a student.

The shooting comes one night after a meeting between police, Tennessee State University officials and community leaders about safety around the campus, Aaron said. He said this is just another story of young people who have used guns to solve disputes.

"I don't know if it has something to do with video games now or what it is," he said.

Last week, three people were shot during a house party near the university. One of the victims suffered a gunshot wound to the head but is expected to recover. The gunman involved in that shooting is still at large and an investigation is ongoing.

Aaron said that as the fighting broke out Thursday night, several students began filming the incident with their phones when the shooting started. He said police are asking any students with footage of the incident to contact them. A cash reward is being offered, he said.

"The person who fired those shots put innocent persons in extreme danger in this isolated incident," Aaron said. "We're hoping that TSU students that have this video, have this knowledge, understand that this person put them in danger tonight, and will report what they know."

Police did not yet have a description of the suspect, and could not say whether an exchange of gunfire occurred until the evidence is analyzed.

Contributing: The Associated Press.