A suspect has been arrested in the Jan. 7 shooting death of a man in Ooltewah, according to Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Hammond.
Sanel Durakovic, 25, was arrested Friday in the fatal shooting of 57-year-old Patrick Godwin. Godwin had just gotten home from work and was standing in his yard in the 8500 block of Horseshoe Bend Lane when he was shot and killed, according to the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Hammond said in a Saturday news conference there is a possibility the shooting was a domestic issue but couldn't comment on whether any previous altercations existed between Godwin and Durakovic.
"We believe that the suspect knew the victim, or at least they were familiar with each other, because of a common interest," Hammond said.
Sanel Durakovic / Hamilton County Sheriff's OfficeEarlier, sheriff's office spokesman Matt Lea told the Times Free Press that information they obtained indicated the shooting was not a random act of violence.
Godwin, a father of three, worked as a hairdresser for decades, most recently at Tease Hair Salon. He would have turned 58 on Jan. 9. He is survived by his wife, Jenna.
According to Times Free Press records, Godwin had been arrested twice on gambling charges. When asked if there might be any connection between gambling and the shooting, Hammond said "that's information that will come out in the case at trial."
Hammond said there was a lot of concern among Godwin's neighbors and that the video provided by some of them helped give "a good timeline for a lot of what happened."
Patrick Godwin / Photo provided by Chattanooga Funeral Home The sheriff's office will continue to gather information about Durakovic as they interview witnesses, meet with the District Attorney and conduct searches as part of the ongoing investigation.
"I feel very strongly that we have gotten the material we need to move forward at this time," Hammond said. "I want to commend my officers who worked over 100 man hours almost around the clock since this occurred ... they were very successful in putting the case together."
Durakovic is currently in custody on a $200,000 bond.