Two Vanderbilt players were shot Monday night while attempting to help a teammate retrieve his cell phone, which had been stolen hours earlier. Both players are expected to recover from their injuries; the phone, as of now, remains stolen.
According to a police report cited by The Tennessean, sophomore receiver Donaven Tennyson listed his cell phone for sale online on Monday. After coordinating with someone he thought was a potential buyer, Tennyson agreed to meet them in a Chili’s parking lot, where, upon meeting him alone, the thief stole the phone.
Tennyson attempted to track down the thief, and several hours later he noticed that a listing on the same website he had used just hours before appeared to be selling his stolen phone. Tennyson then created a fake account on the site and set up a meeting with the phone thief in the local Target parking lot; fellow Vandy defensive backs O’Montae Daley and Frank Coppet joined him for the confrontation; the group took Daley’s car so as not to tip off the thief.
When they arrived at the store, the players were armed with a pellet gun, which one of the players told police was meant “to help get the phone back.” The Commodore football players drove up to the gray Buick sedan, with Coppet exiting the vehicle to approach the other group, pellet gun in-hand. One man in the Buick responded to the pellet gun by exiting his car and firing a real handgun; another fired a shotgun at the players. Daley was shot in the leg, while Coppet’s arm was peppered with birdshot—the injury was “non-critical,” per the Tennessean.
Police are currently looking for suspects in the case, putting out notices for a gray, four-door Buick sedan. If you know anything further about this case, contact us.