UPDATE: Man who said he was shot in road rage incident was actually shot by person in his own car, police say

A Chattanooga man, pictured left, was shot in the hand while exiting Interstate 24 Saturday evening.
A Chattanooga man, pictured left, was shot in the hand while exiting Interstate 24 Saturday evening.

Update Dec. 23 at 12:06 p.m.: A Chattanooga man who said he was shot in a road rage incident on I-24 was actually shot by a passenger in his own vehicle while exiting the interstate, police say.

Malcom Blessingreen, 30, was shot in the hand and received medical attention.

Justin Sheppard, 26, was arrested for the shooting, according to a release from the department following a preliminary investigation.

No motive was released.

Blessingreen previously told the Times Free Press he was shot from a passing vehicle but was quickly pulled away by police Saturday night and told not to talk to a reporter. Another officer on scene said investigators would not be willing to provide details to the public about the incident at that time.

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A man who would only identify himself as a 30-year-old from Chattanooga was shot while driving on Interstate 24 through town Saturday evening in what he said he believes was a road rage incident, he told the Times Free Press.

The man was shot in the right hand, which had been treated at the scene.

"They just drove past and shot me," he said. "They started shooting into the car. The bullets was going through the window. One hit my hand. I think it was like road rage. I don't know if we swerved in front of them or what happened."

The victim was quickly pulled away by police Saturday night and told not to talk to a reporter. Another officer on scene said investigators would not be willing to provide details to the public about the incident.

The victim pulled off the interstate onto the left shoulder of the Fourth Avenue ramp at Exit 181. Police officers stood near a vehicle at the scene while others searched the surrounding area with flashlights.

The victim said the shooter's vehicle was a dark-colored sedan. He did not get a look at the shooter, he said.

The man, who would not give his name, said he has never been involved in anything like what happened Saturday.

"I don't have no idea who did it," he said. "They just rolled by shooting."

A police department spokesperson confirmed one man was shot and sustained non-life-threatening injuries when asked for further details about the shooting. The investigation is on-going, he wrote via email.

The incident occurred less than a mile from a shooting earlier in the afternoon. One victim was taken to the hospital but is expected to be OK related to that incident, according to Times Free Press news partner WRCB-TV.

This is a developing story and will be updated once investigators finish a preliminary investigation. Stay with the Times Free Press for more.

Contact staff writer Mark Pace at mpace@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6659. Follow him on Twitter @themarkpace and on Facebook at ChattanoogaOutdoorsTFP.

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