On September 26, 2021, 16-year-old Ja’Niya Birdsong was killed by gunfire in the driveway of her grandmother’s home on Eckhart Drive in Nashville. An African American junior at Hillsboro High School who wanted to be a hairstylist, Ja’Niya died at the scene; a 17-year-old girl was also wounded but suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Investigators say the shooting followed an argument between a man and his 17-year-old ex-girlfriend, the same teen who was injured. After the dispute the man drove away and shots were fired from the vehicle toward the two young women.

Arrests were made over the following years. In November 2021, 21-year-old Mohamed Sowa was charged with murder and attempted murder and identified as the ex-boyfriend involved in the argument. By 2023 four more men were indicted in connection with the killing: Abas Muhina, Abdirahmani Muhina, Mohamed Awees, and Daquan Pate. A sixth suspect, Dadiri Muhina, was arrested and indicted on first-degree murder and evidence tampering charges in June 2025.

Did anyone in the neighborhood know Ja’Niya or see vehicles or people in the area that night?