Five days into the new year, Nashville already had five murder cases.
On Thursday morning, residents in the South Nashville apartment complex woke up to a dead man. According to reports, neighbors within the Residences at Stonebrook heard a single gunshot around 4 a.m.
Just before 7 a.m., Semetta Simmons was walking by and discovered the body few steps away from someone’s patio, then called 911 immediately.
“Just laying there and people were just walking past him like he was just trash in the yard,” Simmons said.
Authorities said the victim was Lubunga Lumenge, 30. He was lying on the grass outside his apartment’s door and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The motives and possible suspects for this murder are still under investigation.
Police encouraged anyone with any information on this case to call Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463.
Deadly shootings in Nashville
On Sunday around 2.30 p.m., a staff member at DoubleTree Hotel on 4th Avenue North found two people dead inside a room.
Police said the victims were Irene Bond, 45, and Geremy Causey, 31. They were a couple of boyfriend and girlfriend from Shelby County.
Bond was found fatally shot, and Causey had a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police found a semi-automatic firearm near Causey’s body.
Authorities haven’t released any further information on this murder-suicide case.
On Monday afternoon, a suspected drug-related robbery went violent and killed 22-year-old Daniel Bonner.
According to reports, two suspects broke into Bonner’s apartment at the Aventura apartment complex, demanding drugs and money. Authorities said that Bonner was shot in an attempt to grab a gun to defend himself. He died shortly after arriving at the hospital.
Later that day, in North Nashville, officers were dispatched to respond to a call regarding a suspicious vehicle.
A man was found dead inside a car in the yard of a vacant residence. Police said the victim was a man on parole, 42-year-old Demarcus Mallory. Gunshot was reportedly heard in the area around 8 p.m.
On Wednesday night, in the 500 block of N Dupont Avenue, a man identified as 19-year-old Eric D. Baker was found dead inside his car with multiple gunshot wounds.
Reports revealed that a witness heard gunshots around 7 p.m. and found Baker shot in the car. Investigators also said they were following a lead and looking for a dark-colored 4-door sedan.