On the evening of Friday, April 11, 2025, Ashton Bohannon, a 34-year-old Black/African American man, was shot in the parking lot of a shopping center on South Jefferson Avenue in Cookeville, Tennessee, near an axe-throwing business. First responders arrived after a 7:52 PM call, rendered aid and transported Bohannon to Cookeville Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Police say the incident began as an attempted robbery. A 22-year-old man, identified as Zerico Purnell, remained at the scene and was detained; he told investigators Bohannon attempted to rob him at gunpoint and that he fired his legally carried firearm in self-defense. Funeral services for Ashton Jermaine Bohannon were scheduled in Flint, Michigan.

If anyone witnessed the shooting or has security footage from businesses near South Jefferson Avenue on April 11, please share what was seen with investigators.