Suspect sought in Tullahoma, Tennessee, mall shooting that wounded one

Hugh "Adam" Keckritz
Hugh "Adam" Keckritz

A suspect has been identified in a shooting Thursday inside a common area of Northgate Mall in Tullahoma, Tennessee.

Tullahoma police say the suspect is identified as Hugh "Adam" Keckritz, 22, of Franklin County, Tennessee, and a felony warrant has been issued for his arrest, according to a statement issued Friday by the city.

Authorities are actively seeking Keckritz, officials said. He should be considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached.

Northgate Mall in Tullahoma is on North Jackson Street and contains stores including a J.C. Penney, Big Lots and Harbor Freight Tools. It is near several other commercial retailers in other buildings.

City spokesman Winston Brooks said Friday that the victim, who hasn't been publicly identified, was flown to Erlanger hospital in Chattanooga for treatment. There was no word on his condition.

City officials didn't include any details on the incident in the statement naming the suspect, but Tullahoma police Chief Jason Williams told the Tullahoma News Thursday that the shooting stemmed from a verbal altercation inside the mall that turned violent.

Williams told the newspaper that witnesses reported that one man produced a gun during the altercation and fired a shot, injuring one person. The gunman fled in a white sedan, according to Williams.

A witness inside a store told the Tullahoma paper she saw the victim come running around the corner from the arcade, saying he'd been shot. The witness described him as a young man.

When no one else followed the victim, the witness said two other people came out to help and applied pressure to his wound until police arrived.

Keckritz remains at large.

Anyone with information on Keckritz's whereabouts is asked to contact investigator Johnny Gore at jgore@tullahomatn.gov, the Tullahoma Police Department at 931-455-0530, the Coffee County Sheriff's Department at 931-570-5619 or Coffee County Consolidated Communications at 931-455-3411.

Contact Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6569. Follow him on Twitter @BenBenton or at www.facebook.com/benbenton1.

photo Hugh "Adam" Keckritz

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