A tragic incident unfolded on a Nashville freeway as a Tennessee college basketball player was fatally shot while traveling in a vehicle, according to police reports released on Monday.

Andre Bell, a 20-year-old sophomore at Fisk University hailing from Jackson, Tennessee, succumbed to his injuries at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department confirmed.

The unfortunate event occurred as Bell and two friends were returning to campus via Interstate 65 after attending a gymnastics event. While in Bell’s Nissan Sentra, the group noticed a black sedan traveling in the adjacent left lane, authorities reported.

According to the police, Bell was struck by a bullet to the head during the drive. The two friends accompanying him stated they were momentarily distracted by their cellphones when the sound of multiple gunshots rang out, leading to the grim realization that Bell had been hit.

“Both said they were distracted by their cellphones when they suddenly heard multiple gunshots and realized Bell had been hit,” a police news release states. 

The Sentra slowed and spun back into traffic before colliding with a red pickup truck, police said. The dark sedan kept going. 

Bell was shot in the head and rushed to the hospital in critical condition before he died. 

Investigators said evidence suggests that the car from where the shots were fired likely has windshield damage based on the shattered glass at the scene.

Andre Bell’s Nissan Sentra on I-65 North in Nashville.  (Metropolitan Nashville Police Department)

In a statement, Fisk University said it was mourning the tragic loss of Bell, a business administration major.

Fisk men’s basketball head coach Jeremiah Crutcher described Bell as a “gentle young man” who was “unfairly snatched from this world.”

 Jubilee Hall at Fisk University on Jan. 1, 2016 in Nashville, Tenn. (Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)

“He was a dominant force on the Fisk University Men’s Basketball team, but he was most remembered for his infectious smile, loving personality, and unique ability to always bring warmth to a room,” he said. “We now have a deep absence in our program, but more importantly, we have a deep pain in our hearts. He will be truly missed. Our thoughts and unwavering prayers are with his family and the little kids in his family and in Nashville who looked up to him.”