Jadon Simon, a 34-year-old African American man, was killed on November 26, 2021, following a violent altercation in Nashville, Tennessee. The incident unfolded in the parking lot of the Lucky 7 Discount Grocery and Tobacco store on Jones Avenue, where Simon had a confrontation with another man. The dispute quickly escalated, tragically ending with Simon being shot multiple times.
At the time of the shooting, Simon’s two young children, aged 4 and 11, were inside his Chevrolet HHR.
After the initial shooting, the assailant continued to fire at Simon's vehicle as he attempted to drive away. The car came to a stop at the intersection of Douglas and Jones Avenues, where his terrified children managed to jump out and hide nearby. The gunman then pulled Simon from the driver's seat and fled the scene in his car. Simon was found lying on the sidewalk with multiple gunshot wounds and was rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The investigation into Jadon Simon’s death led Nashville police to identify 57-year-old Melvin Nettles as the suspect. He was apprehended on December 13, 2021, at a residence on Percy Priest Drive. During questioning by homicide detectives, Nettles admitted to shooting Simon with a 9mm pistol after they got into a confrontation.
Following his confession, Melvin Nettles was charged with criminal homicide, carjacking, two counts of aggravated assault, being a felon in possession of a weapon, and theft of a vehicle. He was subsequently booked into jail. The case was later indicted and transferred to the Davidson County Criminal Court. As of early 2022, the court case against him remained open.
