An Athens, Tennessee, man was shot dead early Sunday after people at a County Road 114 home said he attempted to force his way in and fired a gun at them.
Sante Mack, 29, was found lying in the yard of the home when deputies arrived sometime after 1:30 a.m. Sunday, McMinn County Sheriff Joe Guy said in a news release. Several people were present at the home. Deputies rendered aid to Mack until ambulance personnel got there.
Guy said Mack had been at the residence earlier Saturday evening and had a previous relationship with one of the women who was there.
He returned to the home after midnight, Guy said, and was attempting to enter it through a window. When the people inside confronted him, Mack assaulted one of the females with the gun, then fired a shot at them.
Jesse Applebee, 34, was also armed and fired a shot that struck Mack, and then he fell outside. People inside the home then called 911.
Mack was taken to University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville where he died from his injuries, Guy said.
County Road 114 is a rural two-lane road that runs east to west between U.S. Highway 11 and County Road 130 about two or three miles south of the Athens city limits. Homes there are separated by farm land and large tracts.
Detectives are continuing to investigate, the sheriff said.
No charges have been filed.
Guy said Monday that investigators will consult with the 10th Judicial District Attorney General Steve Crump's office on the next steps in the case, which could include a grand jury presentation.
Officials at the district attorney's office in Athens said the assistant district attorney handling the case was not immediately available to talk about the investigation.
Contact Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6569. Follow him on Twitter @BenBenton or at www.facebook.com/benbenton1.