In the early morning hours of February 12, 2022, a dispute in the parking lot of the Habibi Hookah Cafe in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, escalated into a burst of gunfire that tragically ended the life of 35-year-old Brandon Anderson. A Murfreesboro Police sergeant in the vicinity heard the gunshots around 2:03 a.m. and rushed to the scene at 1644 Middle Tennessee Blvd.
Upon arrival, the officer discovered a chaotic scene with multiple victims and immediately began administering life-saving aid to Anderson, applying a tourniquet before he was transported to the hospital where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
The preliminary investigation suggested that an argument and physical fight between two individuals in the parking lot preceded the shooting. Anderson, described by his mother as an innocent bystander, was reportedly attempting to break up the fight when the shots were fired. In the hail of bullets, four other individuals were also struck. One of the other victims was left in critical condition, while the remaining three were treated for their injuries and subsequently released from the hospital.
In the wake of the shooting, Murfreesboro Police homicide detectives quickly identified a suspect and issued arrest warrants for Jamar Adam Marks. Marks, who was 21 at the time, became the subject of a manhunt, with law enforcement believing he may have fled to the Nashville area. The investigation involved a collaborative effort between the Murfreesboro Police Department, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Marshals Office. Marks was added to the TBI's 10 Most Wanted list.
The search for Marks concluded on February 17, 2022, just five days after the fatal shooting, when he was located and apprehended in Evans, Colorado, by the Weld County Colorado Sheriff's Office. He was taken into custody and held in Colorado to await extradition back to Tennessee. Marks is facing a litany of charges, including first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, three counts of aggravated assault, reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, tampering with evidence, and employing a firearm with the intent to go armed. Following his return to Tennessee, he has been incarcerated in Rutherford County, with a court appearance scheduled before a Circuit Court Judge on May 9, 2024.
