On the morning of August 1, 2023, a shooting at an apartment on South 5th Street in Nashville ended the life of 29-year-old Eric Reed. Police arrived at 10:21 a.m. and found Reed inside the residence with a gunshot wound; he was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center and died there. Investigators quickly classified the death as a homicide and said two men had entered the apartment, at least one believed to be an acquaintance of Reed, before a gunshot and the men fleeing the scene.

Arrests followed in the days and months after the killing. Two days after the shooting, 29-year-old Sanchez Ballard was taken into custody on a criminal homicide warrant. On December 13, 2023, Specialized Investigations Division detectives arrested 26-year-old Rhyan Rawlings; a grand jury later indicted Rawlings on first-degree murder and he was booked with bond set at $250,000. Few details about a motive have been released. If anyone knew Eric Reed or saw activity at the South 5th Street apartment on August 1, investigators want to hear from you.