The shooter in a deadly Saturday night shooting in Hixson won't be charged, Chattanooga police have said. It was one of two separate shootings that took place that night and left two dead and two injured.
The man who allegedly pulled the trigger in the first shooting, which took place in the 6700 block of Ardis Lane, acted in self defense, prosecutors in the Hamilton County District Attorney's office decided, according to a Sunday afternoon news release.
Police arrived at the dead-end neighborhood just after 10 p.m. and found 27-year-old Kirtus Thompson dead, the news release states. Douglas Patterson, 57, had also been shot and was taken to a local hospital where he later died.
The shooter had also sustained serious injuries, the release states. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment, though the nature of his injuries and his condition were not clear at press time.
Another two people were injured in the second shooting just three minutes later at 10:10 p.m. in the Northgate Crossing Apartment complex located at 1664 Greendale Way.
Police found two men, an 18-year-old and a 33-year-old with gunshot wounds. They were taken to a local hospital where they were said to be in stable condition Sunday afternoon, according to police spokesman Trevor Tomas.
Police have not released the names of the victims in the second shooting, and a suspect has not been publicly identified.
Investigators have no reason to believe the shootings are connected, Tomas said.
Thompson and Patterson mark Chattanooga's 16th and 17th homicides, including criminal and justified killings. By this time last year, there had been six. Those numbers include shootings, suffocation and blunt force trauma.
Chattanooga Police ask anyone with information regarding either incident to call the department's homicide tip line at 423-643-5100 or to submit a tip via the CPD Mobile App. Tipsters can remain anonymous.
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