Man accused of killing TSU student found not guilty

NASHVILLE — A man accused of fatally shooting a fellow Tennessee State University student more than two years ago at Hadley Park was acquitted of the crime on Wednesday.

It took 25 minutes for a Davidson County jury to find 21-year-old Brandon Horton not guilty of reckless homicide in the March 30, 2015, death of 19-year-old Craig Lambert.

Horton had initially been charged with first-degree murder, but on Wednesday, during the third day of his trial, Davidson County Criminal Court Judge Seth Norman reduced the charge after Horton’s defense attorneys made a motion for a judgment of acquittal.

“Mr. Horton and his family thank the jury for their verdict,” said attorney David Rabin, who represented Horton with his son, attorney Ben Rabin. “The defense team believed that the Nashville justice system works and an innocent man was saved by a fair legal process.”

Witnesses initially told Metro police that Lambert, who was shot in the head, was at a picnic table petting a cat when a pistol he was carrying fell and fired, police said.

However, autopsy results and other evidence later cast doubt on the witnesses’ scenario. A medical examiner testified that due to the way the bullet entered Lambert’s head, it was clear someone else pointed the gun at him and pulled the trigger.

Prosecutor Dan Ham had argued Horton was the shooter.