MEMPHIS, Tenn. — When your life is on the line, you have to act fast. That’s exactly what one hotel employee did when he was shot at 10 times.
It was one of the scariest moments in Will Nash’s life.
Three months ago he was working as the night auditor at the downtown Hilton Garden Inn when he was forced to stare down the barrel of a gun.
Memphis police say 26-year-old Alexander Kahmann stormed the hotel lobby in the middle of the night and started shooting. The nightmare started when Kahmann came in. Nash knew he wasn’t a guest, and none of the guests knew him.
But when Nash tried to keep him out, Kahmann became violent.
“He shot the glass and pounded the glass. His fist came through the glass and the door opened up,” he said.
With just seconds to act, Nash had to move quickly to save the lives of everyone in the lobby, including his own.
“It was myself and the unarmed security guard. I said the word, ‘break,” Nash said. “He came in a tactical mode and was shooting directly at me. As we were running down the hall, he let off 10 rounds.”
He says his life flashed before his eyes.
“I just ran for my life. I ran out the door. He ran behind us. I’m thinking he is about to hunt me down.”
Nash says Kahmann unloaded his clip and fired shots at him and the security guard. Moments later, the suspect jumped a fence and ran away before police arrived.
According to a police report obtained by WREG, Kahmann’s mother told officers he was going through a bad break-up with his girlfriend. She also told them she felt her son was unstable and might harm himself.
Police caught up with Kahmann three hours later near Lamar and Bellevue, but that’s little consolation for Nash, who’s still dealing with the shooting death of his younger brother in 2018.
Now, he’s trying to recover from another senseless act of violence that could have ended with him losing his life.
“They caught him, but it’s not going to take away the emotional place that it’s taken, and I’m still really dealing with it. I still hear the noise. I still see the face of the man.”
Kahmann is currently out of jail on bond and faces several charges, including attempted first-degree murder and aggravated assault.
Nash just returned to work at the Hilton Garden last week.