Campus Alert Archive
MTSU

Graduation Night Turns Deadly: 17-Year-Old Opens Fire at MTSU's Murphy Center After Riverdale High Commencement

TNshootingemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

On the evening of May 18, 2022, 18-year-old Hasani Brewer was shot and killed and another person was critically injured near the tennis courts adjacent to Murphy Center on the MTSU campus following Riverdale High School's graduation ceremony. A 17-year-old suspect was taken into custody shortly afterward. The shooting occurred after an argument between attendees of the high school ceremony that was being held in the university's Murphy Athletic Center.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
1
Injured
1
Institution
Middle Tennessee State University
Public R2 · TN
~21,000 studentsAlert4U
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence · 1 verified verbatim

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTPush
Verified verbatimMTSU alert quoted verbatim by Newsweek83 chars
Shooting reported at Murphy Center. Leave the area if possible or shelter in place.
Sent shortly after MTSU Police responded to shots fired at the Murphy Center area around 8:51 PM CDT on May 18, 2022
The two-option construction ('Leave the area if possible or shelter in place') is more permissive than typical active-threat alerts that mandate sheltering — reflecting that the shooting was in an outdoor area near the tennis courts where many graduation attendees were already exiting
The alert names 'Murphy Center' specifically, which was hosting the Riverdale High School graduation under a Rutherford County Schools rental — not an MTSU event
ALL CLEARTwitter/X
Approximate reconstruction185 chars
MTSU UPDATE: There is no longer a threat on campus. It is safe to resume normal activities. A suspect is in custody. If you have information, contact MTSU Police or Murfreesboro Police.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from news reports that MTSU tweeted there was no longer a threat early Thursday morning
The suspect, a 17-year-old, had already been taken into custody at the time of the all-clear
Context

Background

On the evening of May 18, 2022, officers responded to the MTSU campus after reports of a shooting near the tennis courts adjacent to Murphy Center at approximately 8:51 PM CDT. The shooting occurred following Riverdale High School's graduation ceremony, which was held inside the Murphy Athletic Center as part of Rutherford County Schools' annual arrangement to rent the university's facilities for high school commencements. Two people were found with gunshot wounds. Hasani Brewer, 18, was identified as the victim who was killed, and a second person was hospitalized in critical condition. A 17-year-old was taken into custody and charged in connection with the shooting. Investigators determined that the shooter and victims knew each other and had all attended Riverdale High School; an argument at the graduation escalated and spilled over to the tennis courts where the suspect drew a weapon. MTSU noted that Murphy Center was rented by the county school system for commencement and that the shooting was not related to any university event.
Analysis

Key Findings

The deadly shooting occurred at a rented-venue high school graduation on MTSU's campus, raising questions about security for non-university events
The shooter and all victims knew each other from Riverdale High School, and the violence stemmed from a personal argument
MTSU's campus alert system activated for an incident at a non-MTSU event, demonstrating the complexity of shared-use campus facilities
Outcome
Hasani Antonio Brewer-Gant, 18 (known as 'Sunny'), was killed. Another 17-year-old victim was hospitalized in critical condition. The shooter, then 17-year-old Dante Omega Martin, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder; he was later convicted as an adult. The argument appeared to have carried over from the graduation ceremony to the outdoor tennis courts.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Police investigating shooting outside of MTSU's Murphy Center (News Channel 5)
    newschannel5.com
  2. News
    Teen taken into custody following shooting on MTSU campus; victim identified (WKRN)
    wkrn.com
  3. News
    One shot dead, another critical after high school graduation at MTSU (Fox 17 Nashville)
    fox17.com
  4. News
    Shooting on MTSU Campus: Suspect Nabbed after Shots Fired at School in Tennessee (CBS News)
    cbsnews.com
Tags
shootingfataltennesseegraduation-ceremonyrented-venuehigh-school-eventteenage-suspectargument-escalation
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion