A night out at Cody’s Saloon & Dance Hall in Jackson, Tennessee, ended in tragedy on August 20, 2018. Around 2 a.m. a shooting inside the bar wounded five people; 20-year-old Braxton Watkins, an African American male, was among those struck. Emergency responders took the victims for treatment, and Watkins was pronounced dead at 10:15 a.m. that same day. His body was sent to Nashville for an autopsy to determine the official cause of death.

The Jackson Police Department opened a homicide investigation and made public appeals for help, but investigators have not been able to confirm a motive or identify a suspect. The bar’s owner expressed sorrow and offered prayers for the victims and families.

If anyone was at Cody’s Saloon & Dance Hall that night or has information about the shooting, please contact the Jackson Police Department.