LEBANON, Tenn. (WKRN) — One 20-year-old is dead and another 20-year-old is behind bars after bullets flew Wednesday afternoon in a Lebanon, Tennessee, neighborhood.
Police arrested Laquentin Hearn, who was behind bars Thursday for allegedly killing Dominic Cellucci Livingston.
Sophie Livingston, the victim’s grandmother, was on the front porch crying Thursday afternoon, sitting below a large picture of her grandson in his Lebanon High School football uniform.
The woman was almost inconsolable as she described her grandson, whom she called “my Dom.” She remembered how he had his own nickname for her, too – “Nanny.”
“I’m feeling anger, hurt. He didn’t deserve this,” Sophie said. “He was my baby, my whole world, and they took him, they just took him from me. He didn’t deserve this, he didn’t deserve to die.”
According to Sophie, 20-year-old Dominic had just finished lunch Wednesday afternoon. He was on the porch and everything seems fine. “We had a good day,” she recalled.
Then the grandmother of nine recalled hearing gunfire.
“I heard the shots — ‘bam bam bam.’ They took a child from me. They took my life away from me. He was my life.”
According to Lebanon police, a silver Camry with black rims was seen fleeing the scene. LPR cameras got a lead on the driver, later identified as 20-year-old Laquentin Raymond Hearn.
While police were heading to his home, investigators say, the young driver fled past officers who pursued him. Dashcam video showed the 20-year-old driving erratically as he left city streets and sped onto the highway.
“…I know God wants me to forgive him. No. I will die and go to hell before I forgive that boy…”
Sophie Livingston
At one point, investigators say Hearn was doing more than 120 miles per hour.
Police say Hearn lost control at one point, flipping his car and sliding over 100 feet on the guard rail. Four other cars suffered damage in the crash. Police say no other motorists were seriously hurt.
Hearn ran from the scene but was quickly caught by Mt. Juliet police and Wilson County deputies, authorities said.
According to Lebanon police, the 20-year-old changed the look of his car after the shooting, covering his black rims with silver hub caps. He also changed out of black clothes, putting on a reflective work vest.
Lt. PJ Hardy said investigators had not yet recovered the weapon as of Thursday afternoon.
Sophie Livingston said she did not know Laquentin Hearn, but she wants him to pay for what he allegedly did to her grandson.
“I want him to die,” Livingston said. “I know God wants me to forgive him. No. I will die and go to hell before I forgive that boy. He took my grandson’s life and he gets to live? I want the death penalty on him ’cause he deserves it.”
She also said she heard that the young man had an argument a few weeks ago.
Police said that the young men know each other from school, and the only motive that has emerged is an ongoing confrontation that has yet to be fully detailed.
Laquentin Hearn is facing charges for evading arrest, reckless driving, reckless endangerment and criminal homicide. He is being held in the Wilson County Jail under no bond.
According to jail officials, before Wednesday, he had never been booked into the Wilson County Jail.
Metro police also report the 20-year-old has no prior criminal history in Davidson County.