On the night of Thursday, March 23, 2023, a violent encounter inside a Nashville convenience store tragically cut short the life of 20-year-old Dejuan Gadsden. The fatal shooting occurred at approximately 10 p.m. at the Citgo located at 3900 Clarksville Pike. When police officers arrived at the scene, responding to a robbery alarm, they found Gadsden deceased on the floor, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
As law enforcement secured the area, they detained a man, identified as
24-year-old Thomas Maxwell, who was exiting the business armed with two handguns. During questioning, Maxwell claimed a history with Gadsden, alleging that Gadsden had robbed and severely assaulted him in February of the same year. He asserted that the shooting was an act of self-defense. However, this narrative was quickly contradicted by the store's surveillance footage.
A review of the security video provided a starkly different account of the events. The footage showed Gadsden parking his vehicle and entering the store peacefully. A short time later, Maxwell is seen arriving, parking, and then entering the business as well. The video clearly shows Maxwell, with a gun already in his hand, immediately opening fire on Gadsden as he approached the front counter. Gadsden did not appear to look at or interact with Maxwell in any way before the shots were fired. The footage further revealed that after Gadsden had fallen to the floor, Maxwell stood over him and continued to shoot him.
Based on the evidence gathered at the scene, particularly the surveillance footage that discredited his self-defense claim, Thomas Maxwell was taken into custody. He has since been charged with criminal homicide for the death of Dejuan Gadsden.
