Town police investigate gunfire during Blooming Festival; one teen charged

Two juveniles were apprehended and one of them is charged with criminal offenses in connection with gunfire on Saturday night in downtown Nashville amid the 2024 Nashville Blooming Festival, town police said on Monday.

Shortly after 8 p.m. Saturday, officers who were working security at the event reported shots having been fired in the area behind the Nash County Detention Center, Deputy Police Chief David Boykin said in an email.

Officers were able to detain two juveniles, who had been seen fleeing on foot, and detectives determined there were no gunshot victims at the scene, Boykin said.

The juvenile who is charged is accused of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and damage to property, Boykin said. The other juvenile was released, Boykin said.

A probe is continuing, Boykin said.

The shooting occurred about 10 minutes before headliner Easton Corbin was scheduled to take the stage for the Blooming Festival.

“We’re not immune to what goes on elsewhere,” festival co-chairwoman Jo Anne Cooper said. “They were at the carnival, but they were no longer in the festival footprint (when the shooting occurred).”

Cooper is the publisher of the Nashville Graphic and serves as secretary and treasurer of the Nashville Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the annual festival.

Cooper praised the work of Nashville police for their response during the incident and in apprehending the two juveniles.

“They were quickly scooped up by law enforcement,” Cooper said.

After conferring with law enforcement, festival leaders decided to continue with the event. Corbin’s show resumed after a 10-minute delay. The event is Nashville’s signature annual gathering and is timed during the Mother’s Day weekend.