On a late summer afternoon in Nashville, Tennessee, tragedy struck a family that was no stranger to heartache. It was shortly after 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 5, 2007, when a sense of normalcy inside a residence at 1404 Pennock Avenue was shattered by sudden and brutal violence. Demarius Lacey, a 17-year-old male, was inside the home with several other people when an unknown man entered through the front door and walked into the living room.
The unidentified man, described as a light-complexioned Black male, between 18 and 12 years old with a slim build and braided hair that reached the middle of his neck, scanned the room until his eyes rested on Demarius. Without warning, he opened fire, striking the teenager multiple times. The sudden eruption of gunfire sent shockwaves of panic and terror through the house. Having carried out his deadly assault, the shooter quickly fled the scene. He was seen getting into the passenger side of a vehicle, believed to be a newer model black Chevrolet Impala with tinted windows, which was waiting in an alley behind the residence before speeding away.
In the immediate aftermath, the focus was on the life that had been so violently taken. Demarius Lacey was just a teenager, with his whole life ahead of him. His death left his family and community grappling with a profound loss and a desperate search for answers.
Despite the presence of several witnesses inside the home at the time of the shooting, the case has grown cold over the years. The description of the shooter and the getaway vehicle are the most significant leads that have been publicly released by law enforcement. The Nashville Police Department's Cold Case Homicide Unit continues to seek information from the public, hoping that someone will come forward with the crucial piece of evidence that will bring a resolution to this long-unsolved murder. To date, no arrests have been made, and no suspects have been publicly identified in the killing of Demarius Lacey, leaving his family still waiting for justice.
