Brayden Carter, 19, and Damarion Coleman, 18, have been charged in the January death of Fisk University basketball player Andre Bell, with police saying the shooting was driven by “jealousy.” Carter was arrested after a vehicle stop in Murfreesboro, and Colema
A sophomore at Fisk University never made it back to campus.
Andre Bell, 20, was fatally shot on January 12 after a night out at a gymnastics event at fairgrounds in Nashville. The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department says Bell died at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Now. two teenagers have been charged in connection with his death—allegedly tied to a motive described by police as “jealousy.”.
On Monday, June 15, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department announced Brayden Carter and Damarion Coleman were arrested in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on multiple criminal charges, including first-degree murder.
Carter, 19, was taken into custody by TITANS Unit detectives during what the release described as a “vehicle jam” on Melodic Way in Murfreesboro. Detectives recovered a pistol in the car at the time of his arrest.
Coleman, 18, was arrested at his home in Murfreesboro by Murfreesboro Police SWAT officers.
At the time of Bell’s death, he was a student athlete and a sophomore at Fisk University. He was studying business administration and played for the school’s basketball team.
Police say Bell was leaving the gymnastics event with two friends when they drove onto the interstate in Bell’s car to head back to campus. The passengers in the car told detectives they saw a “dark sedan” pull up beside them before Bell was shot.
The investigation into the shooting began, and detectives concluded that “the motive for the gunfire was jealousy,” according to the MNPD press release.
The department’s account of what led to the alleged motive is tied to Carter. The release states that Carter’s girlfriend was a member of the gymnastics team, and that “it has been reported that he did not like other young men talking to her.”
Carter and Coleman were allegedly at the fairgrounds on the night of the shooting. Police say they believed the two targeted Bell and his two friends “with the intent of scaring the basketball team to stay away from the girlfriend.” Officers added that they reached that conclusion after using “extensive cellphone data analysis.”.
Carter is facing a grand jury indictment charging him with first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder, and three counts of using a gun in the commission of a dangerous felony, the press release says. His bond has been set at $250,000.
Coleman is “facing the same charges in Davidson County Juvenile Court.” Police say he will be held pending a detention hearing. While Coleman is currently a legal adult, he was 17 years old at the time of the shooting.
It is not currently clear whether Carter or Coleman have entered pleas or retained legal counsel following their arrests, and the investigation remains ongoing.
The timeline police describe puts the motive and the alleged plan close together—jealousy tied to a gymnastics teammate. a dark sedan alongside Bell’s car. and a conclusion drawn through “extensive cellphone data analysis.” With the arrests announced weeks after Bell’s death. the case shifts from an investigation into a charging phase—leaving families and teammates waiting for the facts to fully play out in court.
Andre Bell Fisk University basketball player death Brayden Carter Damarion Coleman MNPD Murfreesboro jealousy motive first-degree murder charges attempted murder charges