The man accused of opening fire inside a Nashville restaurant during Easter brunch, killing one and wounding five more, has been arrested in Kentucky after days on the run.
Detectives discovered Anton Rucker at a residence in Princeton on Tuesday, where he was taken into custody without issue, according to a statement from the Metro Nashville Police Department.
Rucker was being held Wednesday in Kentucky’s Caldwell County Jail on a fugitive warrant, and will remain there until he can be returned to Nashville to face charges related to the weekend shooting.
The gunfire erupted Sunday afternoon inside Roasted, a restaurant in the city’s Salemtown neighborhood, packed at the time with people celebrating the Easter holiday. Nashville police spokesperson Don Aaron said two men at the eatery got into a fight, which “significantly escalated within moments” and ultimately turned violent.
By the time first responders arrived on the scene around 3 p.m., the gunman had already fled in a Mercedes GLS 450.
Hours later, authorities identified Rucker as the suspect, citing security video provided by the restaurant. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation on Monday added him to the state’s most wanted list, and offered a $25,000 reward. The same day, police announced they recovered Rucker’s car overnight.
“The gunman was the only one who brandished a pistol,” Aaron said after the shooting. “This was not a shootout, if you will. This was one person who decided to pull a gun based on an altercation occurring with another man, and then he fired multiple shots.”
Allen Beachem, 33, was killed in the gunfire.
“We don’t have any indication that they knew each other at this point,” Aaron added. “It could be something as simple as one person invading another person’s space.”
Five other people were shot, but none of them suffered life-threatening injuries, according to authorities.
Aaron added that a sixth person seemingly suffered a graze wound, but it’s unclear now whether it was caused by a bullet. A pregnant woman was also taken to a hospital after having a panic attack, he said.
With News Wire Services
