Saturday, October 16, 2010

Updated Info man Arrested In Connection with Nashboro Village Shooting

Channel 5 News
by Chris Cannon

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Metro police have made an arrest in the Friday afternoon shooting of a woman in Nashboro Village. 18-year-old Jessica Biggs was shot during a possible carjacking at the Village Green apartment complex.

Late Friday night, police arrested 17-year-old Richard Starks and charged him with especially aggravated robbery in connection with the shooting.

That shooting happened at 3:40 p.m. on Village Green Drive in Nashboro Village.

Police said two women drove up to the apartments. That's when two men came up to the car and demanded them to get out. The women refused, and that's when police said one of the men opened fire through an open window.

"When she didn't get out of the car, fired a couple of rounds, one hitting her in the chest, the other hitting her in the leg," according to Metro Police Lieutenant John Drake.

Biggs was rushed to Vanderbilt University Hospital where she was listed in critical, but stable condition Friday night.

Starks is believed to have been acquainted with at least one of the women. He will be charged with especially aggravated robbery in Juvenile Court.

Police are investigating and said the shooting could be gang-related.

"We have had some incidents of gang activity. I don't know if it's related to this or not, but we are pursuing that lead as well. We do have a gang detective here that's looking into it. As of right now, we don't know until we identify suspects or persons of interest," said Drake.

Alice Stinson was inside her apartment when she heard the gunshots in her building's parking lot.

"And I looked out the window and all I saw was one little kid running and I could see the girl went to open the door and fell right in the door," Stinson explained.

This all happened outside her second floor bedroom window.

"All I could hear was her screaming, oh I can just hear her screaming, talking about 'somebody help me, don't let me die,'" Stinson said.

The shooting happened in the middle of the afternoon with many children in the area.

"Just seeing that is traumatic and makes you worry about the kids future over here and how safe are they," according to Teresa Stinson.A year ago this week a 21-year-old man was shot and killed not too far from the site of Friday's shooting. His death was linked to gang activity.

Email: ccannon@newschannel5.com