Teenager shot dead a day after graduation as suspect says he thought gun wasn’t loaded

A Tennessee teenager was fatally shot a day after she celebrated her high school graduation, with the suspect claiming he wasn’t aware the gun was loaded.

Lily Basil, 18, was pronounced dead on Saturday night after she was struck in the right shoulder by a bullet from a rifle, police said.

The shooting happened just one day after she graduated from Page High School in Franklin, Tennessee.

Matthew Roufail, also 18, was arrested in connection with the incident and charged with criminal homicide, WZTV reported, citing a police affidavit.

“Police have arrested Matthew Roufail, 18. He’s charged with criminal homicide. His bond is set at $150,000,” Franklin Police announced Sunday. “Police believe this was an isolated incident. The investigation is ongoing.”

The suspect was met by police after arriving at Williamson County Medical Center, believing it was the hospital where Basil had been taken, the affidavit added.

He had graduated from Ravenhood High School, located ten miles away from Page High School, on the same day as Basil, according to the Williamson Herald. He was bonded out on Tuesday, WKRN reported.

Following the shooting, he allegedly admitted to shooting Basil, but told police he did not know the AR-15-style rifle was loaded.

One of the witnesses who attempted to drive Basil to the hospital told police he saw Roufail shoot the graduate with a .22 caliber rifle. The gun had been in the trunk of the witness’ car where the teens had been hanging out before the shooting, the affidavit said.

Police did not disclose how Basil and Roufail knew each other.

Following the news of Basil’s death, her high school principal released a statement describing her as a “kind” student whose “smile lit up every room she entered.”

“The Page High family mourns the loss of 2024 graduate Lily Basil. Lily was a light; she was kind, sweet and extremely respectful. Her smile lit up every room she entered,” school principal Katie Hill said in a statement.

“Though she was newer to the Page community, she quickly embraced the Patriot spirit and was a friend to everyone she met. Page faculty, staff and students will dearly miss Lily, and we are committed to honoring her memory by sharing her light.”

Several memorials are scheduled to honor the teenager, with her funeral scheduled for Friday morning.

In addition to the services, community members were also asked to shine a light on Friday at sunset, as part of Page High School’s “Light the Night Memorial: Honoring the Life and Legacy of Lily Basil.”

“Help us honor Lily and celebrate the light she brought to our lives by lighting a candle, a luminary or by turning on a porch light that evening,” Hill said.