Staff File Photo by Brett Clark
The Walnut Street Bridge as shown from Coolidge Park at night with a long exposure.Two teens who told Chattanooga police they witnessed gunfire on the Walnut Street Bridge Saturday could help investigators determine whether violence actually erupted among a crowd of youths that night.
But there is still no evidence that any shots were fired, said police spokeswoman Sgt. Jerri Weary.
Bystanders around Coolidge Park on Saturday night called police to report the sound of gunshots coming from the bridge, but responding officers said they found no evidence of a shooting that night.
On Monday, police reported that the sound could have been fireworks.
Weary said police still are investigating the incident, but at this point there's not enough evidence to press any charges.
Around 9:30 p.m. Monday, officers were called to the downtown Marriott hotel after a 15-year-old boy ran in, telling hotel staff he was being chased, Weary said.
The teen told police he was walking near College Hill Courts when a group began chasing him. The teen said he recognized one of the males as the person he believed shot at him Saturday night on the Walnut Street Bridge, Weary said.
He said the suspect was armed with a black revolver.
Police also talked to a 14-year-old boy Monday night who said he was on the Walnut Street Bridge on Saturday night when he and his friends were confronted and followed by a group.
He said he saw a black male in a purple shirt armed with a black gun that had an extended magazine, Weary said. He also told police that the shooter was with the 15-year-old they questioned earlier and several other boys when the shots were fired.
Neither of the juveniles reported seeing anyone shoot a gun.
Surveillance video recovered from the area didn't reveal evidence of a shooting.