Convicted Felon Charged with Unlawful Possession of Ammunition Stemming from 2023 Homicide (DOJ)

NASHVILLE -LaGarrion Lamontez Blacksmith, age 36, of Nashville, was charged yesterday with possession of ammunition by a felon for his role in a 2023 homicide, announced United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Braden H. Boucek.

On February 18, 2023, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) responded to a shooting at Club Trvth on the 2900 block of Dickerson Pike in Nashville, Tennessee. The shooting resulted in the death of victim C.E. When uniformed patrol officers arrived at the scene of the shooting, they located C.E. deceased from what appeared to be multiple gunshot wounds.

A witness made a statement to the police that he and C.E. were together inside the nightclub, and they had a verbal altercation with other patrons. When they attempted to leave the club, security guards told them it was unsafe to leave. However, they disregarded the guards' warnings. As they left the club, the altercation continued into the parking lot, ultimately culminating in a shooting. Through the course of the investigation, MNPD homicide detectives determined multiple individuals were shooting during the incident and at least two people were shot. Surveillance video captured Blacksmith in an area by himself firing a weapon near two vehicles.

The MNPD Crime Lab conducted analysis on shell casings recovered from the scene and determined 16 fired cartridge casings were fired from the same firearm. This analysis, along with the surveillance video and crime scene photographs, attributed a group of shell casings to an individual shooter, Blacksmith. MNPD homicide detectives also recovered an iPhone that they were able to connect to Blacksmith near these casings.

At the time that he possessed the ammunition in this case, Blacksmith was a convicted felon. He has prior convictions in Davidson County Criminal Court for Theft over $1,000; Attempted Possession More Than 0.5 Grams Cocaine for Resale, and Felon in Possession of a Weapon.

If convicted, Blacksmith faces up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Stephens is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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