In the late hours of a Tuesday night in Antioch, Tennessee, the life of 27-year-old Dhargham Ateia was tragically cut short. On June 12, 2018, Ateia was walking across the parking lot of the InTown Suites on Murfreesboro Pike when he was shot multiple times. Despite his injuries, he managed to make his way to the doorway of a second-floor room, where he was found just before midnight.
Emergency services were called to the scene, and Ateia was rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical
Center. Before succumbing to his injuries, he was able to provide his brother with a brief description of the person who shot him: a Black male with dreadlocks. This description is the only lead that has been publicly released regarding a potential suspect. Witnesses at the extended-stay motel reported hearing as many as a dozen gunshots, but no one was able to provide a more detailed description of the shooter.
The investigation into Ateia's death remains ongoing. His case is now considered a cold case, and the Nashville Police Department's Cold Case Homicide Unit is actively seeking any information that could lead to an arrest. Authorities have not released a motive for the shooting. At the time of his death, Ateia was serving a suspended sentence for recent drug and gun charges. To date, no arrests have been made in connection with the murder of Dhargham Ateia, and no suspects have been publicly identified beyond the initial description he provided.
