Chattanooga sees its fourth homicide of 2018

One man killed, another injured after Carousel Road shooting

Chattanooga police officers work the scene of a shooting Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018 in the 1400 block of Carousel Road in Chattanooga, Tenn. One person is deceased following the incident and another is in critical condition.
Chattanooga police officers work the scene of a shooting Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018 in the 1400 block of Carousel Road in Chattanooga, Tenn. One person is deceased following the incident and another is in critical condition.

A woman's cries could be heard amid the bustle of crime scene investigators after two men were shot in the 1400 block of Carousel Road in East Chattanooga Tuesday evening.

One of the men died and the other was taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries, authorities said. Police did not yet have the men's ages or information about what may have motivated the shootings.

photo Chattanooga police work the scene of a shooting on Carousel Rd. on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018.

Preliminary information did not indicate that the shootings were connected to Sunday morning's shooting outside Southside Social that left one woman dead and another injured, but police spokesman Rob Simmons said police will learn more as the investigation continues.

The man's death marked Chattanooga's fourth homicide of 2018. By this time last year, there had been only two homicides, while in 2016 there had been three, according to Times Free Press records.

Many residents were outside at the time of the shootings, Simmons said. And many were still outside watching later as police collected evidence and spoke to witnesses.

The weather was unusually warm Tuesday, and large groups of people gathered on each others' porches as they speculated about what might have happened. Many were weary of reporters and shied away, only talking if they didn't have to identify themselves.

Several neighbors who were there when the shots were fired shared with each other how many gunshots they heard, calling out different numbers. Less than 10 but definitely more than five, some said.

"He emptied the gun out on him," one woman said.

As darkness began to fall, a little boy - roughly 3 or 4 years old - was walked away from the crime scene. He was visibly shaken and appeared to have been crying.

photo Chattanooga police work the scene of a shooting on Carousel Rd. on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018.

Other residents huddled together and shared ideas about how to end the gun violence that has invaded the neighborhood within the last 15 or so years. One woman said she wished they'd make the neighborhood a gated community. Another said the young men who usually perpetuate the violence should join the military.

"They want to tote all these guns, get out there and see what them guns is for," one man said. "It might make a better person out of them."

Another man said he's lived in the same house for nearly 40 years. When he first arrived, "it was real nice," he said. "You could go to sleep with your doors open."

Now, he said, he's ready to leave. His house has been hit by stray bullets, like so many other homes. He and a friend recalled stories of bullets flying through walls and into rooms.

"It's getting too close," he said.

Contact staff writer Rosana Hughes at rhughes@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6327 with tips or story ideas. Follow her on Twitter @HughesRosana.

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