© 2024 Blaze Media LLC. All rights reserved.
Pregnant suspect shot while shoplifting at Walgreens, forcing doctors to perform emergency C-section
Photo by: Don & Melinda Crawford/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Pregnant suspect shot while shoplifting at Walgreens, forcing doctors to perform emergency C-section

A pregnant woman was shot while allegedly attempting to steal multiple items from a Walgreens in East Nashville, Tennessee, forcing doctors to perform an emergency cesarean section to save her baby.

Around 8 p.m. on Wednesday evening, an unidentified Walgreens employee alerted team leader, Mitarius Boyd, 21, that two women were stealing items from the store. When Boyd spotted the women, he claimed he saw them fill a cart and a large, over-the-shoulder bag full of items and then transport the items to their vehicle without paying for them.

Boyd later told police that he began recording the two female suspects on his cell phone as he followed them out to their car. When the women went to place the items in the trunk, Boyd said he stepped to the rear side of the vehicle, and one of the suspects drew a can of mace and began spraying him with it.

He then began to fear for his life, he later stated, claiming that he did not know whether the women were armed. So he drew his own semi-automatic pistol and fired several rounds.

One of the suspects, later identified as 34-year-old Travonsha Ferguson, was seven months pregnant at the time, and she was struck several times by bullets from Boyd's gun. After she was shot, the other suspect reportedly raced Ferguson to nearby Nashville General Hospital, dropped her off, and sped away.

An ambulance then transported Ferguson and her unborn child to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where doctors performed the emergency C-section. Thankfully, the child was not harmed in the shooting. Both mother and child remain in the hospital in critical but stable condition.

After the suspects left the store, Boyd called 911 to the report the incident. Police claimed that Boyd has cooperated in the investigation, voluntarily surrendering his phone and weapon to them.

No arrests have been made in the case, and Boyd told detectives he fired at the suspects in self-defense. The detectives stated that after they have completed their investigation, they will submit their findings to the district attorney's office, where prosecutors will then determine whether Boyd will face charges.

Walgreens did not reply to a request for comment from TheBlaze.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Want to leave a tip?

We answer to you. Help keep our content free of advertisers and big tech censorship by leaving a tip today.
Want to join the conversation?
Already a subscriber?
Cortney Weil

Cortney Weil

Sr. Editor, News

Cortney Weil is a senior editor for Blaze News. She has a Ph.D. in Shakespearean drama, but now enjoys writing about religion, sports, and local criminal investigations. She loves God, her husband, and all things Michigan State.
@cortneyweil →