Fiancé of deadly West Nashville Target shooting victim speaks
Click here for updates on this story
NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV ) — The fiancé of the man who was killed inside a West Nashville Target is speaking about the moments leading up to the shooting.
“I’ll never forget him and how much I loved him. How much he meant to me,” Rachel Scarberry, the victim’s fiancé said.
Scarberry knew Collier as her biggest cheerleader. The couple went to the Nashville West Target to look around Sunday night.
“This guy was just on us as soon as we walked in the store. We didn’t know him. We had never seen this man,” Scarberry said.
Metro police identified the man as 29-year-old David Van Dyke. Collier’s fiancé says after getting away, they ran into each other again in the electronics section.
She remembers what happened before the deadly shooting.
“Just Avery asking him the same questions. Do I know you? Do you have a problem?,” Scarberry said.
It’s those final minutes keeping Scarberry rattled and Collier’s family left with more questions.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do without him,” Tarita Collier, the victim’s sister said.
After leaving the store in the middle of the commotion, police said the suspect came back and put his gun into a planter. Police said he told officers he was the shooter.
Van Dyke is in jail being held on a $1 million bond.
One question still stands out for Collier’s fiancé and family.
“My brother was loved. Still loved. I just don’t understand. I don’t understand why,” Collier said.
They’re leaning on each other as they start to process and grieve.
“Still trying to figure it out. Luckily, I’ve got my family here,” Scarberry said.
This isn’t the first time the Collier family has experienced heartbreak due to gun violence. Reginald Collier, Avery’s younger brother, died in 2011.
The family is raising money for Avery’s funeral expenses.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
