Nashville Murder Suspect Rico Ransom Arrested After Police Chase, New Charges Filed

Rico Ransom, a 21-year-old Nashville man out on bond for a 2019 first-degree murder charge, was arrested following a high-speed police chase that ended in North Nashville. Ransom, who was wearing an ankle monitor, led officers on a pursuit after his black Dodge Challenger committed multiple traffic violations and lingered unusually long at a gas station. During the chase, police deployed spike strips to deflate the tires, but Ransom continued driving, discarding an AR-style pistol before abandoning the car and fleeing on foot into a wooded area where he was apprehended. He faces new charges including two counts of felony evading, felony gun possession, and driving on a revoked license, with bond set at $28,000. Ransom is scheduled to appear in court on June 5 for his murder trial involving the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Steven Shelton, an incident in which he was initially arrested in 2021 as a juvenile. Additionally, Ransom has a history of violent offenses, including a 2018 attempted criminal homicide charge related to a shooting outside Pearl Cohn High School.