NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Two Vanderbilt football players were shot in what police are calling an “ill-conceived plan” to recover a teammate’s stolen cellphone.
Tae Daley, 18, suffered a noncritical gunshot wound to his leg, and Frank Coppet, 18, received noncritical birdshot wounds to his arms, Nashville police said Tuesday in a statement. Detectives were working to identify and arrest the shooters.
According to police, 19-year-old Donaven Tennyson had offered his phone for sale on an internet site and met with a prospective buyer at a Chili’s parking lot at 5 p.m. Monday. Tennyson told police his phone was stolen during the meeting and later that night was offered for sale on the same internet site.
Tennyson said he arranged a meeting with the seller in a Target parking lot and arrived with Daley and Coppet. Police said the three players brought a pellet pistol, which one of them said was “to help get the phone back.”
Police said Coppet got out of Daley’s Toyota with the pellet pistol in his hand when a man who pulled up next to them in a Buick got out and shot at the three players with an actual pistol. Police said another man in the Buick fired a shotgun at them.