COLUMBIA, Tenn. (WKRN) — When gunfire rang out around a large crowd in downtown Columbia early Saturday morning, many people ran for cover.
It went down in the 800 block of Woodland Street, about a block from the Maury County Courthouse. That’s where the Columbia Police Department said people on both sides of the street were shooting at each other, with a crowd caught in the crossfire.
The first 911 calls starting coming in at 12:04 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16:
Lots of gunfire. Lots of gunfire
Please get someone down to Woodland Street. Someone just got shot. Please get them down here now.
I don’t know where they got hit at. I just seen them fall.
When officers arrived at the scene, they believed they were dealing with multiple shots fired and perhaps multiple people hit. However, as the investigation continued, that turned out not to be the case.
After individuals started exchanging gunfire along Woodland Street, authorities said they took 20-year-old Te’Kwantarius Dion Johnson into custody.
According to the arrest affidavit, the Hurricane Mills man “was observed by officers firing multiple shots toward the group of people with the intent to kill a person with a handgun,” and even admitted to firing his Glock 21 handgun.
In the end, police told News 2 nobody was shot over the course of the incident, but several nearby vehicles and buildings were hit by gunfire. In addition, one person running from the scene reportedly suffered a non-life-threatening injury when he was hit by a car that was also fleeing the area.
“Can you tell me where you saw the person down?” the 911 dispatcher asked. “We are getting multiple calls.”
“They’re down in the road, they’re in the road, you’ll see them,” the caller replied.
Johnson was charged with attempted first-degree murder and employing a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony, officials said.
The 20-year-old, who is being held at the Maury County Jail, declined to tell News 2 his side of the story.
According to authorities, everyone else involved in the incident left the area and have yet to be identified. However, additional arrests may be made in connection with this ongoing investigation.
Anyone with information about the shooting is encouraged to contact the Criminal Investigations Division of the Columbia Police Department at 931-560-1670, the department’s 24-hour dispatch at 931-388-2727, the department’s SAFE Tip email at SAFETips@ColumbiaTN.Com, or Maury County Crimestoppers at 931-381-4900.
