Red Bank Police Chief Tim ChristolPolice are investigating Red Bank's first homicide of the year after a state representative's father-in-law was gunned down in a robbery over the weekend and died Wednesday morning.
Winston Gant, who is Republican Rep. Gerald McCormick's father-in-law, died at a local hospital, said Red Bank Police Chief Tim Christol.
Gant was shot one time outside his front door at his home and business, Gant's Towing at 2401 Briggs Ave., just before 1 a.m. Saturday, police said.
A woman, who was an employee and family friend, was also robbed of cash during the robbery but was uninjured, Christol said.
Gant was the father of McCormick's wife, Kim G. McCormick, who is associate vice president of academic support services at Chattanooga State Community College.
"Our family is dealing with the tragic personal consequences of an apparent armed robbery perpetrated against my father-in-law that led to his death," McCormick said in a statement on Wednesday.
Word of Gant's death spread quickly through state Capitol circles earlier in the day.
The suspects are described as wearing dark clothing and leaving in a dark sedan. Outside of a robbery, it's unclear what the motive was in the shooting.
"We're still actively working it," Christol said.
Police are joining with neighboring law enforcement agencies to identify suspects, he said.
Gant's family business had no surveillance cameras to capture images of the crime, he said.
Funeral arrangements are being handled by Layne Funeral Home on Ashland Terrace.
Gant's death is the third homicide in 11 years in Red Bank. Police investigated two homicides last year, one of which was a home invasion robbery and the other a murder-suicide. Both cases were closed out.
Anyone with any information about Gant's death can contact Red Bank police at 875-0167 or 877-2481.