On the evening of March 13, 2019, the life of 18-year-old Carmen E. Simmons of Christiana, Tennessee, was tragically cut short. Murfreesboro Police responded to a call around 9:45 p.m. about a female who was not breathing at a residence on Forrest Street. Upon their arrival, they discovered Carmen with a gunshot wound to her face. She was rushed to Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The initial stages of the investigation were shrouded in uncertainty as detectives worked to piece together the events that led to the fatal shooting. Investigators interviewed potential witnesses to understand how Carmen sustained the gunshot wound. The manner of her death was not immediately clear, prompting a thorough inquiry into the circumstances.
The investigation led to the arrest of 18-year-old Deonate Maurice Wade of Murfreesboro. Wade, who was present at the scene performing CPR on Carmen when officers arrived, turned himself in to law enforcement on April 11, 2019. He was subsequently charged with reckless homicide in connection with her death.
According to the incident report, Wade claimed the shooting was a tragic accident. He stated that Carmen had picked up the gun, and it accidentally discharged. The weapon was found on a couch in the residence. An autopsy later confirmed that a gunshot wound to the head was the cause of Carmen's death. Wade was held at the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center on a $500,000 bond.
