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Nashville, TN (WSMV) — Police are working to find the two men who shot and killed two people during a robbery in East Nashville overnight.
The shooting happened just before 3:30 a.m. Friday in the parking lot outside The Cobra on Gallatin Avenue.
It’s unclear whether the bar was open at the time, but there were people inside. Employees called police to report the shooting.
The Metro Nashville Police Department identified the victims as 33-year-old Bartley Teal and 30-year-old Jaime Sarrantonio. Friday was Teal’s 33rd birthday.
Teal died while undergoing surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, while Sarrantonio died shortly after arriving at TriStar Skyline Medical Center.
Police said two other people, a 34-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman, were with the victims during the shooting, but they were not injured.
According to MNPD, the four victims left the bar around 3 a.m. and walked to a nearby convenience store to buy snacks.
Police said the suspects were searching for robbery targets when they saw the four victims in the parking lot.
Witnesses said the men demanded Teal to turn over his belongings and shot him when he said he didn’t have anything with him. Police are still working to determine why the men killed Sarrantonio.
“I work downtown at night time. My wife, after this happened this morning, she’s like be careful,” said James Hunter, a friend of Teal’s. “It’s just so sad. Somethings gotta be done about it.”
The two suspects, described as two black men, drove away in a small older-model Chevrolet car. One of the men had dreadlocks. Police released this photo of their vehicle.
Police said the suspects then drove to north Nashville and dumped the victims’ belongings in an alley off 23rd Avenue North and Heiman Street. The suspects are believed to be familiar with the area.
“It’s real scary because people got kids out here and that is not cool to be doing all that,” said Vivian West. Police found the victims’ belonging in her dumpster in north Nashville.
“I’m gonna have to watch my kids because they like looking out the window, so I’m gonna have to protect them as a mother. I’m gonna have to because that’s really scary.”
Detectives are processing the items that were stolen from the victims at the MNPD Crime Laboratory.
Anyone with information about the suspects or their vehicle is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463. Callers can remain anonymous and can qualify for a cash reward.
Police said the double murder is very similar to a deadly shooting that happened nearby on Alta Loma Road on Tuesday morning. Kendall Rice, 31, was shot and killed while he was walking to catch an MTA bus to get to work. His killers have still not been caught.
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