East Nashville Save-A-Trip Market Shooting: The Full Details

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Sometime between May 16th & May 17th, Josh Lee Raines admits to buying a 2006 black Chevy Silverado from someone, and he was aware at the time of the purchase that it was a stolen vehicle. The vehicle was reported stolen from Clintondale Drive on 05/16. Raines had the keys to the vehicle in his possession.

Around 9 AM on Saturday morning, Josh Lee Raines was refueling this stolen vehicle at the Porter Road Save-A-Trip Market, with Aaron Crimmons also with him, who was pumping the gas.

Robert Steele, 16, was walking to the market with Timone Evans and Kendra Rogers. According to all three witnesses, there was a verbal altercation between the victim (Robert Steele) and the shooter (Josh Raines). Evans stated that Raines asked Steele what he was looking at. Steele responded and Raines asked if he wanted to go around the side of the building. Evans said that he spotted a gun in Raines’s waistband, so he told Steele to leave it alone. At that point, Raines then pulled his gun and first 2-3 shots at Steele, striking him twice. Steele fell to the ground and was eventually transported to Vanderbilt, where is is listed as serious condition, but not life-threatening.

After the shooting, Raines and his passenger Crimmons fled in a black Chevy Silverado that was later found to be stolen. Crimmons was dropped off near his home and walk the rest of the way to his residence. Raines eventually dumped the truck in an alley near Douglas/Chapel.

Evans, who was familiar with the suspects, told police where one lived on Branch Avenue. Crimmons was picked up by police a short time later and transported to East Precinct to be interviewed. He was mirandized and signed the waiver, and told detectives that he didn’t know the truck was stolen and had no idea that Raines would shoot the victim. He said he was pumping gas and had his ear buds in, and did not heard the conversation between the two, however he did see the defendant shoot the victim.

Approximately four hours later, Raines was spotted on Chester Avenue and was arrested. He was transported to East Precinct to be interviewed. He was mirandized and signed the waiver. He admitted that the truck that was driven from the scene was stolen and admitted to dumping it in an alley a short distance from the shooting. He also admitted to shooting the victim. He said that the victim was staring at him, so he challenged him to a fight. He said that the victim kept grabbing his waistband and he thought he was going to pull a gun, so he fired three shots at the victim.

Raines admitted that he never saw the victim with a gun and the victim never threatened him. He also said that the victim is not known to carry a gun. The incident was caught on surveillance footage.

The defendant told police that he hid the .40 caliber handgun (which he said could be stolen) in a grill behind a house on the 1400 block of Chester Avenue. Police responded to this location and were unable to locate the weapon.

Standard photo lineups were shown to witness Adamczyk, witness Evans, and witness Rogers. Adamczyk and Evans positively identified Raines as the shooter but were unable to identify Crimmons as being at the scene. Evans couldn’t identify Raines as the shooter but identified Crimmons as being on the scene with him.

Raines is charged with Attempted Murder ($350,000 bond), Weapon used in commission of a felony ($15,000 bond), Theft over $10,000 ($15,000 bond).

Raines has a case pending for strangling his girlfriend in January, when officers were dispatched to Lincoln Ave for a domestic disturbance between Raines and his girlfriend. Both parties stated they started punching and throwing objects at each other. When his girlfriend tried to leave the location, the defendant threw two rocks through her back windshield and rear passenger door window causing them to shatter. She then got out of her vehicle and threw a brick through the front window of the residence. She stated during the physical altercation, Raines strangled her with both of his hands but she did not lose consciousness.

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