Ahead of a planned meeting Monday (June 24) about gun violence among Nashville youth, a local pastor revealed he recently escaped what appeared to be a carjacking attempt.
Curtis Bryant, pastor of Greater Heights Missionary Baptist Church, told WKRN he had briefly pulled his truck over to check his phone. Afterward, as he turned around in a driveway, a masked man appeared.
“I saw him coming with a ski mask on, reach for my door handle. I was in reverse already, and I just stepped on it,” said Bryant. “I guess I angered him because I didn’t allow him to do maybe what he wanted to do. So out of anger, he shot my vehicle.”
According to the pastor, the assailant shot five bullets at his truck, damaging tires, a headlight, and a door.
Nashville Pastor: ‘I’m Not Exempt’ From Violence
The attempted carjacking isn’t the first time Pastor Curtis Bryant has been impacted by gun violence. A few years ago, he said, his parked car was struck by someone shooting a gun nearby. The recent incident with the masked man felt different, however. “The intent was for me, and it was traumatic,” he said. “But I thank God that I’m still alive.”
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The pastor warned neighbors that “this kind of violence can strike anywhere,” adding, “I guess I was just shown that I’m not exempt.”
Bryant advised caution, telling people to keep their heads up. “If I would’ve kept my head down for another few seconds,” the pastor said, the assailant “would have been upon me without my being aware.”
During a two-week period earlier this month, four Nashville teens were shot and killed. To address concerns about gun violence among local youth, Mayor Freddie O’Connell is meeting with some area pastors today—including Bryant.
About the problem of gun violence in Nashville, Bryant said, “We’ve got to do whatever we can to keep young people conscious and us to keep aware of potentially volatile situations.”
Bryant’s Nonprofit Has Come Under Scrutiny
Bryant is active in the Nashville community, working on anti-violence initiatives, assisting crime victims, and creating affordable housing. Through his faith-based organization, Successful Survivors, Bryant aims to help local residents survive and thrive. “For me as a pastor, I see that being a spiritual venture, an economic venture, just a life venture,” he said in a 2021 interview.
 about gun violence among youth in Nashville, Tennessee. According to the pastor, his assailant shot five bullets at his truck.){kind=link}