A family member of the city’s sixth homicide victim said her cousin was caught in the crossfire of a fight between two groups when he was shot and killed early Sunday morning.

Tyrone Stewart, 18, of 2467 Sixth Ave., had attended a pajama party in a building on Dodds Avenue when a fight escalated. As people left the building and ran away, someone began firing shots, one of which hit Mr. Stewart. He was not affiliated with either group, said Tomeisha Garth, who lives a few doors down from Mr. Stewart in the East Lake Court homes.

Chattanooga police responded to the shooting shortly after midnight near Dodds Avenue and 17th Street, where they found Mr. Stewart in the roadway with a gunshot wound to his chest, Chattanooga Police Department spokeswoman Lt. Kim Noorbergen said in a news release.

Mr. Stewart was taken to Erlanger hospital and pronounced dead. A 17-year-old at the party suffered gunshot wounds to the leg and was in fair condition Monday afternoon at Erlanger, police spokeswoman Sgt. Jerri Weary said. Police continue to investigate and had made no arrests as of Monday evening.

Mr. Stewart, a 2007 graduate of Howard High School, had a 4-month-old son and lived with his mom, Ms. Garth said.

“You could be having a bad day, and he’d help you forget what made you mad,” she said. “He was funny, down-to-earth and really caring.”

Ms. Garth, who attended previous events at the site, said fights have occurred there before, but usually are resolved quickly.

Neighbor Sylvia Bowles remembered Mr. Stewart as respectful and intelligent.

“It happens,” she said of the shooting. “But it shouldn’t have happened to him.”

Mike Minor, supervisor for Diversified Sign Suppliers at 1700 Dodds Ave., said there have been more stabbings and robberies during the last six months in the Dodds Avenue area near Sunday’s shooting. He used to live in the apartments above the business, but has moved.

“When you walk out (of the business), you kind of want to get to your car and get out,” Mr. Minor said.

The homicide comes as City Council discusses an amendment to the city code that would hold owners, promoters and attendees responsible for incidents that happen during events.

During a March meeting, the Legal and Legislative Committee discussed the proposed amendment, hoping its passage would curb violence at youth gatherings. The first draft of the proposal mentions, among other incidents, a Feb. 16 shooting at a party at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre that left four people with gunshot wounds and a Feb. 17 shooting at the National Guard Armory that resulted in gunshot wounds to two teenagers.

“We do have a problem,” city Attorney Randy Nelson said during the meeting. “Therefore we need to take some action.”