Nashville, TN — A 15-year-old boy is facing multiple charges, including criminal homicide, in connection with a deadly shooting at an after-hours club in South Nashville earlier this month. The shooting, which took place in the early hours of December 1, left 18-year-old Ashley Dominguez dead and two others injured.
According to the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD), the incident occurred at a club located in the 900 block of Murfreesboro Pike. Witnesses reported that a heated argument preceded the gunfire, which was directed at a vehicle containing five individuals. Dominguez, who was seated in the backseat, was critically injured in the attack. The driver of the vehicle immediately sought help, pulling into an office building parking lot in the 1300 block of Murfreesboro Pike after realizing that Dominguez and two other young women, both 19 years old, had been shot.
The victims were transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where Dominguez was later pronounced dead. The two other women, who sustained non-life-threatening injuries, were treated and released.
Following the shooting, a swift response from the MNPD’s Community Safety Center played a key role in identifying a suspect. Surveillance footage captured by operators at the center helped detectives develop 15-year-old Yariel Sandoval, from Clarksville, as a potential suspect. Further investigation by the MNPD’s Homicide Unit, in coordination with the Clarksville Police Department and other law enforcement agencies, led to Sandoval’s arrest on December 18.
Sandoval was taken into custody on outstanding warrants for criminal homicide and related charges. Authorities have not ruled out the possibility of additional individuals being involved in the incident, and the investigation is ongoing.
The news of Sandoval’s arrest comes just days after a candlelight vigil was held in honor of Ashley Dominguez. Family members, friends, and supporters gathered at the Historic Metro Courthouse to remember the young woman and to advocate for an end to gun violence in the community.
Melissa Alvarez-Zabriskie, founder of the Tennessee Hispanic Action Network, spoke at the vigil, emphasizing the deep emotional toll Dominguez’s death has had on her family. “One of the things that Ashley’s mom wanted was to make sure people knew that Ashley was a real person,” Alvarez-Zabriskie said. “This tragedy not only cut her daughter’s life short, but it has sent ripples throughout her family and the entire community. Her mom doesn’t want this to happen to other kids. Today it could be her daughter, but tomorrow it could be someone else’s.”
The shooting has raised further concerns about the growing prevalence of gun violence in Nashville, especially among young people. As the investigation continues, authorities are calling for the community’s support in addressing the factors contributing to such violent incidents.
While details about the specific circumstances of the shooting remain scarce, the arrest of Sandoval has brought some sense of closure to the investigation, though it has done little to ease the grief of a family mourning the loss of a beloved daughter.
The case underscores the ongoing challenge of youth violence and the need for broader efforts to address gun safety, mental health, and community-based intervention programs in Nashville and beyond.