CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – A man charged with attempted murder after shooting his neighbor during a racist altercation also threatened to kill a Clarksville Police detective, according to court records.

Steven Andrew Russell, 61, was arrested Aug. 27 and charged with attempted murder, tampering with evidence and theft of property.

The incident

On Aug. 26, police responded to a shooting in Summit Heights, according to court records obtained by Clarksville Now. While officers were en route, a second call was received by 911, but this time from Russell, who reported he had shot and killed his neighbor.

The neighbor was found with multiple gunshot wounds and transported to Tennova Healthcare-Clarksville with non-lifethreatening injuries.

Russell told officers his neighbor had hit him with a stick, and he was also taken to Tennova to be treated for a minor abrasion on his face.

‘Prolonged racial tension’

Investigators discovered that prior to the shooting, there had been an altercation between Russell and his neighbor. “This altercation was the result of prolonged racial tension initiated by Russell towards (his neighbor),” the court records said.

Russell, who is white, allegedly antagonized his neighbor, who is Black according to CPD spokesperson Scott Beaubien, to the point where the neighbor struck Russell with his walking cane. Russell then pulled out a .22 caliber revolver and fired at his neighbor, according to the records.

The neighbor was shot in the arm and retreated to his front porch; Russell continued firing until the weapon was empty, striking him again, the records said.

Russell then left the scene. He told investigators he dropped the gun in a nearby storm drain so it couldn’t be used against him. Officers searched but were unable to find the gun.

During the search, they found a 12-gauge shotgun that, when run through the National Crime Information Center, was determined to be stolen. Russell said the shotgun was his and he had found it months prior, according to the records.

He said he shot his neighbor because he was in fear for his life, that he was happy about shooting him, and he hoped his neighbor would die, according to the records.

He also continued to use “racial names” for his neighbor, and when informed that his neighbor would survive, Russell told investigators he was going to “kill him again” and “shoot him between the eyes,” the records said.

When Russell was told he would be charged with tampering with evidence, he became more enraged, said he still had the gun, and when he was released from jail, he was going to kill the lead detective.

Russell has a court hearing on Sept. 10. A public defender has been appointed.