Teen shot dead one day after graduation as suspect says he thought gun wasn't loaded

A Tennessee teenager was fatally shot a day after celebrating her high school graduation, with the suspect saying he didn't know the gun was loaded.

Lily Basil, 18, was pronounced dead Saturday evening after being struck in the right shoulder by a rifle bullet, police said.

The shooting happened just a 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.

“The police arrested Matthieu Roufail, 18 years old. He is charged with criminal homicide. His bail is set at $150,000,” Franklin police announced Sunday. “Police believe this to be an isolated incident. The investigation is ongoing.

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

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

After 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 tried to drive Basil to the hospital told police he saw Roufail shoot the graduate with a .22 caliber rifle. The gun was in the trunk of the witness's car, where the teens were hanging out before the shooting, the affidavit states.

Police have not revealed how Basil and Roufail knew each other.

Following the news of Basil's death, the principal of her high school 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 Lily Basil, a 2024 graduate. Lily was a light; she was kind, gentle and extremely respectful. Her smile lit up every room she entered,” school principal Katie Hill said in a statement.

“Even though she was new to the Page community, she quickly embraced the Patriot spirit and was a friend to everyone she met. Lily will be greatly missed by Page faculty, staff, and students, and we are committed to honoring her memory by sharing her light.

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

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

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