A man is being held on murder charges in McMinn County after a fatal shooting at a bar west of Athens, Tennessee, early Saturday.
William Charles Thomas Sullivan, 24, of Athens, was arrested in Meigs County after allegedly shooting the owner of the Double C Bar, according to a McMinn County Sheriff’s Office press release.
Sullivan is believed to have been involved in an earlier incident at the bar involving a knife, Sheriff Joe Guy said in the press release.
“Based on witness statements, Mr. Sullivan had been asked to leave the bar by the staff after making some threats with a knife, although the threats were not reported to 911 at the time,” Guy said. “Sometime later, the suspect fired shots at other bar patrons in the parking lot. When he was confronted by the bar owner, Randy Croft, the suspect appears to have fatally shot Mr. Croft before taking Mr. Croft’s truck and fleeing the scene.”
Sullivan was apprehended in Meigs County after a short vehicle pursuit, Guy said. He is being held at the McMinn County Jail on murder charges, with additional charges pending an investigation, the release said.