In the autumn of 2025, a life was tragically cut short in Nashville, Tennessee. Ja’Quan Nolan, a 17-year-old male, was visiting friends at the Forest Park Apartments in Bellevue on the evening of October 18th when a dispute escalated into fatal violence. What began as an argument between Nolan and a male resident on an apartment balcony quickly spiraled out of control, leading to an eruption of gunfire.
In the ensuing chaos, Nolan was struck in the back of the head and died at the scene.
The investigation into the shooting revealed a heartbreaking twist: the fatal shot was fired by Ja’Quan Nolan’s own cousin, 19-year-old Marquez Reed. Reed, along with two other individuals, 21-year-old Malichi Cummins and a 16-year-old, had been with Nolan during the initial argument. As tensions mounted, Reed, Cummins, and the juvenile allegedly fired multiple rounds toward the apartment, which was occupied by an adult man and woman, and four small children. It was during this barrage of gunfire that Reed inadvertently shot his cousin. The man on the balcony sustained a non-life-threatening graze wound to his chest and was later treated and released from a local hospital.
In the aftermath of the shooting, authorities launched a thorough investigation, utilizing video evidence and witness statements to piece together the events of that tragic night. Their investigation led them to identify Reed as the individual who fired the shot that killed Nolan. Video footage also captured Cummins removing a gun from Nolan as the group fled the scene.
The suspects were apprehended in the days following the incident. Marquez Reed was already in custody in Rutherford County on unrelated auto burglary charges when an arrest warrant was issued for him in connection with his cousin's death. He faces charges of criminal homicide, felony reckless endangerment, and use of a gun in the commission of a dangerous felony. Malichi Cummins was also arrested in Rutherford County on a theft charge and, along with the 16-year-old, faces charges of attempted murder and felony reckless endangerment for firing into the occupied apartment. The juvenile suspect was taken into custody in Montgomery County and booked into juvenile detention in Nashville.
