College Basketball Player, 20, Killed in Shooting on Highway

A 20-year-old college basketball player was killed in a shocking highway shooting while driving back to campus with friends in Nashville.

Andre Bell, a sophomore at Fisk University, was fatally shot late Sunday night as he traveled northbound on Interstate 65 near the I-40 interchange, according to police. Bell later died at Vanderbilt University Medical Center early Monday.

Bell, a Business Administration major and member of the university’s basketball team, had been returning to campus with two friends after volunteering at a Fisk University gymnastics meet held at the Nashville Fairgrounds. What should have been a routine drive turned deadly in seconds.

Investigators with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department say Bell was driving a white Nissan Sentra when a dark-colored sedan pulled up in the left lane. His two passengers told police they were briefly distracted by their cellphones when they suddenly heard multiple gunshots.

Moments later, they realized Bell had been hit.

The car slowed, spun back into traffic, and collided with a red pickup truck. The other vehicle sped away from the scene. Police later confirmed Bell suffered a gunshot wound to the head.

Authorities say evidence at the scene suggests the suspect vehicle may have windshield damage caused by shattered glass during the shooting. As of now, no arrests have been made and the motive remains unclear.

“Our Fisk Athletics family is absolutely devastated,” athletics director Valencia Jordan said in a statement. She confirmed Bell had been heading back to campus after volunteering when the shooting occurred. Counseling services are being provided to student-athletes and staff.

Fisk basketball coach Jeremiah Crutcher remembered Bell as both a leader and a source of joy.

“Today, we lost a leader on and off the basketball court,” Crutcher wrote. “Andre ‘Dre’ was a bright, gentle young man with an infectious smile who brought warmth into every room.”

Bell, originally from Jackson, Tennessee, was described as a dominant presence on the court but an even greater one off it, especially to younger kids in his family and community who looked up to him.