In the late hours of an April night in Nashville, Tennessee, the life of Cleveland Curtis Shaw Jr., a 29-year-old Black man, was cut short by gunfire. On April 7, 2021, just before midnight, Shaw was driving a three-wheeled Polaris Slingshot motorcycle across the Clarksville Pike bridge over the Cumberland River. An 18-year-old passenger was with him at the time of the incident.
Their ride was violently interrupted when shots were fired from another vehicle, striking both Shaw and his passenger. Shaw sustained fatal injuries, while his companion was wounded but survived.
The investigation into the shooting quickly developed a person of interest. A 22-year-old man, accompanied by his lawyer, turned himself in to the Metro Nashville Police Department. He admitted to firing at Shaw's vehicle but claimed he did so in self-defense, alleging that shots were first fired from the Slingshot. In support of the ongoing investigation, authorities recovered two firearms from the driver's seat of the motorcycle Shaw was driving. A car believed to have been used by the shooter was later found abandoned in a church parking lot.
As detectives continued to piece together the events of that night, it was revealed that Shaw was legally prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a prior domestic violence conviction from 2015. Despite this part of his past, Shaw was known in his community as an active member of Gideon's Army, a nonprofit organization dedicated to curbing violence. Known affectionately by the nickname 'Ears,' he was a father who was deeply involved in his community, often helping others and participating in activities like riding dirt bikes and four-wheelers. The investigation into his death remains ongoing, with the suspect cooperating with authorities. To date, no charges have been filed in connection with the shooting.
