Michael Earl Leggs, 19, a Black man from Nashville, Tennessee, was killed after a late-night encounter that unfolded just a short walk from home in East Nashville at the end of March 2009.
Just before midnight on Tuesday, March 31, he was on Gatewood Avenue when a man stepped in close, produced a gun, and issued a stark command: put your hands up. The moment had the feel of an ambush—quick, direct, and terrifyingly controlled. Instead of backing away, the gunman opened fire, striking Leggs multiple times before fleeing into the darkness.
When officers arrived, they found Leggs down on the sidewalk only a few doors from where he lived. He was rushed for emergency care, but the wounds were too severe; he died from his injuries, with his death recorded on April 1, 2009.
In the days and years that followed, investigators built what they could from fragments: the shooter was described as around 5'9", likely in his late teens to early twenties, dressed in dark, baggy clothing, and at least one account noted a dark jacket marked by a red design. Detectives have said the killing did not appear random, pointing instead to an ongoing feud involving Leggs and “several other individuals,” and acknowledging that they developed persons of interest but still lacked the missing piece needed to name a killer in court.
His family buried him with the rituals of love and grief—visitation and a funeral service held at Immanuel Missionary Baptist Church, followed by interment at Greenwood “West” Cemetery. Years later, police renewed public appeals for information, emphasizing the case remains open and urging anyone who heard rumors, saw the confrontation, or learned of a confession to come forward. No arrest or formal charges have been publicly announced in connection with his killing, and Leggs’ death continues to be listed as an active cold case.
