College Basketball Player Shot to Death While Driving on Tennessee Highway - 1 Clue Might Help Solve the Murder
A 20-year-old college basketball player died last week after being shot while driving on a Nashville interstate, according to police and university officials.
Not much was known in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, but police believe a major clue could help them.
Officers theorized quickly that the vehicle the assailants were traveling in might have bullet holes in the windshield from rounds that were fired from within it.
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department’s Homicide Unit is leading the investigation into the fatal shooting, which occurred on Jan. 11 along a stretch of Interstate 65 north in the city, the Daily Mail reported.
Police identified the victim as Andre Bell, a Fisk University student.
BREAKING UPDATE 🕊️ Police say a Fisk University student has died after being shot while driving on I-65. Andre Bell, 20, was shot Sunday night and died at Vanderbilt University Medical Center this afternoon. Police are still searching for the suspect. https://t.co/piZQJXjoNY pic.twitter.com/Sp9CBQ4Hrz
— FoxNashville (@FOXNashville) January 12, 2026
In a Monday news release, the City of Nashville said Bell had been driving a white Nissan Sentra with two friends after attending a gymnastics event at the local fairgrounds.
The group was returning to campus when the shooting occurred just after 8 p.m., police said.
According to detectives, Bell’s friends reported noticing a dark-colored sedan traveling in the left lane beside them.
Both passengers told police they were distracted by their cellphones when they suddenly heard multiple gunshots.
They then realized Bell had been hit, according to the release.
The Sentra slowed and spun back into traffic before colliding with a red pickup truck. The dark sedan continued driving and did not stop at the scene.
Bell suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
He was initially listed in extremely critical condition. Later, police confirmed Bell died at the hospital.
“The investigation, led by the MNPD’s Homicide Unit, is active and continuing,” the update stated.
Police said the motive for the shooting remains undetermined, but that shattered glass recovered from the roadway indicates suspect vehicle’s windshield may have been struck during the gunfire.
They are asking for the public’s help in locating the dark sedan.
Anyone with information about the vehicle, its occupants, or dashcam footage from the area around the time of the shooting is urged to contact the MNPD.
Fisk University said Bell was a sophomore business administration major and a member of the men’s basketball team.
Fisk University basketball is mourning the loss of 20-year-old basketball player Andre Bell, who was
recently killed in a shooting.He was described as a “dominant force” on the court and a loving person off of it.
FULL STORY: https://t.co/HH11eZscP0 pic.twitter.com/Dv1juFZWFa
— HBCU Sports (@HBCUSports) January 13, 2026
“Our Fisk Athletics family is absolutely devastated by the news that one of our own has been taken from us in a senseless act of violence,” Athletics Director Valencia Jordan said.
Head men’s basketball coach Jeremiah Crutcher described Bell as a leader on and off the court.
“He was most remembered for his infectious smile, loving personality, and unique ability to always bring warmth to a room,” Crutcher said.
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