CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – After a man was found shot in the head near the Ash Ridge apartments in September, a 20-year-old suspect in now in custody.
In the early morning hours of Sept. 9, officers responded to the scene of a shooting in progress near the Ash Ridge apartments next to Dollar General. Upon arriving, they found a male victim with a gunshot wound to the head.
According to the affidavit and arrest warrant, the victim, Carlos Wills, 18, was transported to Tennova Healthcare-Clarksville and then to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he ultimately died from his injuries.
During the investigation, police discovered that Wills had been riding in a vehicle with five others. One of the individuals was identified as Za’Kwon Jaterrion Holliday, 20.
According to the documents obtained by Clarksville Now, multiple interviews revealed that Holliday had been smoking marijuana and doing “whip-its” (inhalant of nitrous oxide). At one point during the drive, Holliday, without provocation, pulled out a gun and shot Wills in the head.
One of the passengers in the backseat struggled with Holliday over the gun, and the remaining two were able to escape. The two fleeing passengers tried to get help by knocking on a nearby residence door. The vehicle and the remaining occupants (Wills, Holliday, and the passenger struggling for the weapon) continued traveling until reaching 110 Ash Ridge Drive, where the driver let the others out.
Several photo lineups were shown to the passengers in the vehicle, and they positively identified Holliday as the person who shot Wills.
Holliday was arrested on Sept. 16, 2024, and charged with criminal homicide.
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