The scene was quiet the morning of Aug. 24 along Herman Street after a 16-year-old was gunned down three days earlier while leaving a high school football game nearby.
Cameron Frierson, a Hunters Lane High student, was on foot less than a block away from the football field where Pearl-Cohn High faced Montgomery Bell Academy the night of Aug. 21. Witnesses told police that shots rang out from a white sedan with tinted windows around 10:30 p.m. near Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church. The teen was struck multiple times and rushed to the hospital, where he died, Nashville police said.
At an unrelated media briefing at the Metro Nashville Police Department East Precinct on Aug. 24, Chief John Drake told reporters that investigators had developing
information in Frierson's death. He stopped short of providing more details.
"It's very, very unsettling when someone goes to a high school game and it should be a great time for students, and you have this happen," Drake said.
As of Aug. 23, Nashville had 25 homicides so far in 2026, police data shows. However, Nashville officials said overall crime rates dropped for the second year in a July media briefing, mirroring a national trend.
One of this year's homicides happened in March, roughly 2 miles from where Frierson was shot. Police said 21-year-old Joshua Holmes was fatally shot while driving near the intersection of Ed Temple Boulevard and Buchanan Street, then crashed into a tree. A passenger in Holmes' car told police he believed the shots were fired from a passing car.
Frierson's shooting marks the fourth juvenile death — and third by gun violence — in Nashville this year, according to the data. In March, 6-year-old Steven Lamont Ricks died after shooting himself in the head, according to police. Steven Lamont Phillips, the boy's father, told police he had a gun in his pocket when he fell asleep while playing with his son. He now faces a criminal homicide charge related to the boy's death.
Damarion Morehead, 12, was killed on June 21 after a fight downtown ended in gunfire. Devin Orr was charged with criminal homicide in connection with that case, though he claims the shooting was in self-defense after a group jumped him. Morehead was shot from behind as he ran away.
Grief counselors were on site as school resumed at both Hunters Lane and Pearl-Cohn on Aug. 24 and available as needed for both students and staff, according to Metro Nashville Public Schools spokesperson Sean Braisted. He said students can request to meet with the grief counselors through their teachers or regular school counselors. The sessions are typically one-on-one.
"We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of Cameron Frierson, a junior at Hunters Lane High School," the district said in a statement on Aug. 22. "Our hearts go out to Cameron’s family, friends, classmates, and all those who knew and cared for him during this incredibly difficult time."
Community rallies as police investigate teen's shooting
Donations have poured into a GoFundMe started by the teen's mother, Brittany Frierson, to cover the costs of his funeral. The fundraiser quickly surpassed its initial $5,000 goal and was near the $15,000 mark the morning of Aug. 24. The fundraiser page describes the teen as bright, determined, beloved and hardworking.
"All donations will go toward Cameron’s funeral expenses so we can give my child a decent burial and honor his memory with the love and dignity he deserves," Brittany Frierson wrote in the description. "No parent ever expects to have to bury their child first, and we simply did not have time to prepare for this pain or these expenses."
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463. Callers can remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward. The Youth Peace and Justice Foundation, also known as Uvalde Foundation For Kids, is also offering up to $5,000 for information that leads to the arrest of whoever is responsible for the shooting.
Reporter Evan Mealins contributed to this story.
Rachel Wegner covers education and children's issues for The Tennessean. Got a story you think she should hear? Reach her via email at RAwegner@tennessean.com. You can also find her on X or Bluesky under the handle RachelAnnWegner.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville police investigate, family mourns after teen fatally shot
