In the summer of 2019, a drug deal in Nashville, Tennessee, turned fatal, claiming the life of 28-year-old Markus Cantrell. On the evening of July 8, Cantrell met with Tru Booker in the 3100 block of Ewingwood Drive for a prearranged marijuana transaction. Cantrell, a Black/African American male, was shot during the encounter and later died from his injuries at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
The incident began to unfold when Cantrell entered a vehicle where Booker was preparing a
quarter pound of marijuana for the sale. A struggle ensued, and shots were fired inside the car, wounding Cantrell in the leg and Booker in the arm. The altercation then spilled out of the vehicle and onto the ground outside. At this point, Booker's mother and girlfriend, who were present at the scene, intervened and began striking Cantrell.
Despite pleas from his own mother to let Cantrell go, Booker gained control of the firearms involved in the struggle. At close range, he shot Cantrell in the forehead, a wound that proved to be fatal. Booker initially claimed that he acted in self-defense, stating that Cantrell had attempted to rob him during the drug deal, which led to an exchange of gunfire.
Following an investigation into the shooting, Tru Booker, who was 28 at the time, was indicted on a charge of second-degree murder with an alternative charge of voluntary manslaughter. He was already in custody on unrelated charges when he was booked for Cantrell's death. In addition to the state charges, Booker was convicted of federal firearm and drug offenses.
