Footage plays key role in Nashville road rage shooting case

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A March road rage shooting was caught on camera and played in a Davidson County courtroom on Tuesday.

The suspect, 23-year-old David Bush, has been accused of two separate road rage shootings: one from Sept. 2023 involving a Davidson County judge and another from March along Murfreesboro Pike.

PREVIOUS: Suspect arrested in 2023 road rage shooting targeting Davidson County judge's car

On Tuesday, footage of March's Murfreesboro Pike shooting was shown in court. Neither Bush nor the victim testified. The footage, captured by a witness, showed a white Acura, allegedly driven by Bush, race past the witness in the center lane, before opening fire on the victim's white Ford pickup.

The witness then pulled over and rushed to the victim, who came to a stop in the center of a congested Murfreesboro Pike. The victim, a 55-year-old man, was in critical condition after being shot in the head.

"He was in bad shape," Metro police detective, Melody Saxon, testified. "...He was unable to make coherent statements."

One witness testified with the assistance of a translator.

"He had a lot of blood on his head and he also had blood on his hand because he was holding his head," the witness testified.

Bush faces attempted homicide charges. The defense argued Bush shot blindly at the truck and should be given a lesser charge.

"We've got provocation. We got (that) it happened instantly. We have passion involved in some type of road rage, for lack of a better word, incident," Bush's attorney argued. "So I would ask for the courts to make that determination that it be attempted voluntary manslaughter."

The judge ultimately ruled in favor of the prosecution, thanks in part to the video evidence provided.

RELATED: Driver arrested after man shot in the head while driving on Murfreesboro Pike

"I think based on the video, the court remembers your vehicle slowing down a little bit as the arm came down to be at the same pace of the victim's vehicle," the judge said. "That, and the number of shots fired — I think can get me to probable cause on knowing. I'll find probable cause on attempted second degree murder."

Bush's bond conditions — if he were to post bond — were laid out in court before the hearing adjourned. They include no possession of firearms, no driving, no contacting the victim or his family, and GPS monitoring and tracking, if he is released.

Court records show Bush's bond at $500,000. Bush will be in court for his other road rage shooting in September of 2023 in early 2025.