Police arrest suspect Anthony Thomas in Miller Park shooting

Investigator Christopher Blackwell looks inside a trash can at the scene of an early afternoon shooting in Miller Park on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015, in Chattanooga.
Investigator Christopher Blackwell looks inside a trash can at the scene of an early afternoon shooting in Miller Park on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015, in Chattanooga.

Police have arrested a man suspected of shooting another man twice in broad daylight at Miller Park on Tuesday afternoon.

Police said the two men, who are homeless, were "associates to some degree."

The victim was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening wounds to the arm and hip.

A motive had not yet been determined. The suspect, Anthony Thomas, was charged with attempted 1st degree murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm.

Police identified the victim as Darrius Starling.

Several witnesses came forward to police to recount their stories. Police did not say if the suspect legally possessed the weapon.

"I understand the sensitivity of this," said David Roddy, Chattanooga Police chief of staff, of the public nature of this shooting. Miller Park is an area where people pass by for lunch and is located in the heart of downtown Chattanooga. "But these are two individuals that had a disagreement. That disagreement could have happened in the middle of downtown, it could have happened in any other part of town."

A Domino's Pizza deliveryman was stopped at a red light next to the park when he saw a man shoot another man at least twice, he told the Times Free Press.

"When I saw the gun get raised up at the individual, the guy who was getting shot turned real quick," he said. "As soon as the light turned green, I floored it and got out of there."

The deliveryman declined to give his name for fear of possible retaliation. Chattanooga police, however, emphasized the incident is not gang related.

Police investigators cordoned off the park after the shooting, which lies in the heart of Chattanooga's central business district, as well as the city's newly formed Innovation District.

Staff writers Evan Hoopfer and Harrison Keely contributed to this report.

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