CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Nearly eight years ago, 20-year-old Darius Walton was waiting for a ride outside a Clarksville apartment with a friend when, all of the sudden, gun fire rang out.
His friend was later found in front of the apartments bleeding, and Walton was found on the side of the building. But by the time police arrived, Walton was already dead.
To this day, his killer remains unknown. The cold case unfolded on June 12, 2016, on Jack Miller Boulevard in Clarksville. Other friends inside the apartment said they heard the shots and called 911.
In a 2021 interview with News 2, Clarksville Police Department Homicide Detective Keenan Carlton said they think there may have been two shooters based on the fact that two different calibers of ammunition were found at the scene.
Investigators don't believe Walton or his friend had a gun or ever fired any shots back. They both were shot several times, but Walton's friend survived.
Some other factors uncovered through the investigation have pointed to the shooting possibly being targeted.
According to Carlton, police suspect that the shooting was the result of "some words" being shared between two different groups of people on social media.
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However, authorities are still trying to bring the people responsible to justice.
In January 2024, the Clarksville-Montgomery County Crime Stoppers Board voted unanimously to increase the cash reward for several cold case homicides from up to $5,000 to up to $10,000. Walton's murder was one of the cases that qualified.
In order to receive the reward, the information provided must lead to the arrest or conviction of the persons responsible.
Anyone who has information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 931-645-TIPS, or go to www.p3tips.com, and leave a tip online. All tipsters remain anonymous.