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Report an anonymous tip to police at 423-698-2525Source: Chattanooga Police Department
Robert James, 62, was driving home after paying his life insurance bill and was stopped at a red light on Brainerd Road just after 10:30 a.m. Wednesday when the air around him erupted with gunfire.
He twisted in his seat, trying to figure out where the shots were coming from.
He saw an SUV barreling toward him.
"That SUV hit me hard," said James, who is retired from the National Park Service. His 1979 Buick Regal was totaled.
But James wasn't seriously hurt, and neither was anyone else involved in the eight-vehicle crash caused when someone in a red Volkswagen opened fire on the SUV. Just a little sore, James said. He was on his way to the emergency room, just in case.
The brazen mid-morning shooting on one of Chattanooga's most-traveled roads unnerved the city Wednesday, and police said it was likely related to other gang-related violence this week. On Sunday, a 5-year-old boy saw both his parents shot to death in their home on East 13th Street and called 911 for help. And on Jan. 25, a 20-year-old man was shot and killed while walking on Sheridan Avenue.
Both cases are unsolved. On Wednesday, police said investigators have not received a single call from community members to offer information about Sunday's double homicide. Despite the outpouring of public sympathy for the boy who survived, the tipline has been silent.
Police Chief Fred Fletcher and Mayor Andy Berke pleaded for help from citizens hours after Wednesday's attack.
"This isn't right, none of it," Berke said. "And there are people walking around right now in our streets who know what happened and can help us arrest the people who did these crimes. I'm asking them to help us now."
Police haven't said why the shooter in the red Volkswagen opened fire with a 9 mm gun, just that the SUV sped away, ran a red light and slammed into traffic near the intersection of Brainerd and McBrien roads. The shooter's vehicle kept going and the shooter has not been caught.
At least 10 bullet holes riddled the SUV. Two people, including a pregnant woman, were inside. Neither person was hit by the bullets or seriously injured in the crash.
Workers in nearby shops reacted with disbelief when the shots split the air before lunchtime.
"What are they doing awake so early?" said Ashley Varner, an employee at Auto Glass Now. "This stuff happens at night, not during the day."
"We're lucky there's not a body bag out there," said Kelli Seiler, an employee at Rick Davis Gold and Diamonds.
The attack on Brainerd Road is likely connected to Sunday's double slaying and other ongoing gang violence, Fletcher said. He emphasized that police intelligence shows a small number of individuals and "cliques" are responsible for much of the violence during the last two weeks.
"We know a great deal about what is driving this violence," he said. "What we need is evidence - usually from witnesses - to put them in jail."
Last week, a judge dismissed all charges against a 17-year-old who police say was involved in a drive-by shooting after the 16-year-old shooting victim refused to name the 17-year-old as the shooter in court, despite previous statements to police.
When no one speaks, Berke said, the "cycle never stops."
It's a speech city officials have made before.
In November 2015, after a week when two people were killed and another six were shot, police Chief of Staff David Roddy made a nearly identical plea.
"We know members of our community either have information that would help us or actually witnessed the crimes themselves," Roddy said at the time. "We need those individuals to stand up and speak out."
But more than two months later, both of that week's homicide cases are still unsolved.
Police did arrest two people Wednesday afternoon who investigators believe are related to the week's violence, but not specifically to the attack on Brainerd Road, Fletcher said.
Cadarrius Sales, 21, and David Pollard, 19, were arrested with multiple weapons after officers saw them smoking marijuana in a car on Jersey Pike, records show. Fletcher believes at least one man is connected to the ongoing violence, but declined to say which specific incident.
"We think all of this violence has tentacles to each other," Fletcher said.
He said police will be increasing their efforts to target the people responsible for the week's violence.
"We will make sure they understand this community will not tolerate the violence," he vowed.
Contact staff writer Shelly Bradbury at 423-757-6525 or sbradbury@timesfreepress.com with tips or story ideas. Follow @ShellyBradbury.