Chattanooga police arrest fourth suspect in connection to July 21 Trailwood Drive homicide

Gary Cross
Gary Cross

A fourth suspect has been arrested in connection to the July 21 homicide of 28-year-old Tracy Calloway.

Calloway died at a hospital after police found him with multiple gunshot wounds inside a white sedan in the 4600 block of Trailwood Drive.

He was a father to a son and three daughters, according to his obituary.

Antonio Watkins, 25; Prandel Reid Jr., 25; and Jamichael Smith, 26, were all arrested on Aug. 2. Now, a fourth suspect, 23-year-old Gary Cross, has been arrested.

Cross was apprehended Friday as "a result of an extensive investigation by the CPD Homicide Unit," the department said in a statement.

photo Gary Cross

He faces the same charges as the other three suspects: first-degree murder, criminal conspiracy, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm during commission of a felony and reckless endangerment.

On July 21, Calloway's vehicle was littered with bullet holes and several spent shell casings were found in the street about four houses down from where the vehicle was located, according to Hamilton County court records.

But what helped police identify the suspects was a home surveillance camera, a witness and ballistic evidence.

The camera picked up a portion of the shooting. It showed the suspects get out of a mini-van, one of whom was armed with a rifle-style firearm. Several shots are then heard.

The next day, police spoke to a witness who identified the people in the mini-van and said they had been talking about shooting someone.

The surveillance footage and ballistic evidence corroborated what the witness said.

At least three of the suspects - Watkins, Reid and Smith - are known Gangster Disciples, and all four have lengthy criminal histories in Hamilton County.

Watkins had been out of jail since June 29 on a $95,000 bond awaiting a settlement hearing in the 2016 attempted murder case of a 31-year-old woman.

Calloway's death came amid an especially violent month for the city. In days leading up to his death, the city saw eight shootings in just nine days. And even more followed.

With seven people dead and 15 others wounded, July was the city's most active month for gun violence this year.

Chief David Roddy has previously said that at least some of July's shootings were a part of an ongoing gang dispute, though police haven't confirmed whether Calloway's killing was connected to any of those shootings.

The dispute dates back to 2016 and, currently, is primarily between the Gangster Disciples and Kemp Drive Posse - a neighborhood subset comprised of Skyline and Tree Top Pirus, and even some Gangster Disciples, as well.

City council member Demetrus Coonrod previously noted an increase in shootings since the release from jail of a high-ranking member of the Gangster Disciples. Neither she nor police confirmed who the gang member was, but she may have been referencing Watkins, who is a Gangster Disciple and was released on June 29.

Since Watkins' arrest, there have been four people shot, none of whom have died. By this time last month, there had been nine people shot, including two fatalities.

Another factor that could be leading to a lower amount of shootings so far this month is the start of school.

Police have previously said shootings increase during summer break, especially when the weather is dry and warm.

Contact Rosana Hughes at rhughes@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6327 with tips or story ideas. Follow her on Twitter @HughesRosana.

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