Murfreesboro murder suspect’s brother says shooting was self-defense
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WKRN) — In an effort to clear his brother’s name, Alberto Charco is asking police to review surveillance footage from Wednesday’s deadly shooting at a Murfreesboro gas station.
According to the Murfreesboro Police Department, the shooting happened shortly before 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday, May 15 at the 7-Eleven/Exxon gas station on Joe B. Jackson Parkway.
Based on the preliminary investigation, authorities said 26-year-old Juan Charco of Antioch, and his brother were using a Ford F-150 pickup truck to tow a Chrysler 300 when they stopped at the gas station. Then, two other men — identified by officials as 23-year-old Devon Loritts of Georgia, and his brother — pulled up in a Mercedes and the four of them got into an argument, which resulted in shots being fired.
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Police said Loritts was shot multiple times and died from his injuries, but Loritts’ brother was shot in the arm and is in stable condition at the hospital.
According to authorities, Juan was charged with second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder. He is being held in the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center on a $1.5 million bond, with a court date set for July 17.
Investigators said they believe the incident may have started over the disputed ownership of the Chrysler, which Loritts had previously bought from Juan, but then the car was taken from Georgia and tracked to Murfreesboro.
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News 2 spoke to Juan’s brother, Alberto, who said they brought the car back from Georgia, adding that it was abandoned. According to Alberto, their truck overheated while hauling the car, so they stopped at the gas station to let it cool down.
“These guys pulled up, and one of them had a ski mask for sure, and the other, I’m not sure if his face was covered or not, but one of them had an AR rifle and the other one had a pistol in his hand,” he recalled.
When he discussed what led up to the shooting, Alberto stressed that he feared for his life during the altercation and that his brother was acting in self-defense.
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“That’s not the whole story, man,” Alberto said. “We’ve got to get it right, and I want to let the public know what it was, because it’s burning my brother’s name and my name, as well.”
News 2 also spoke with Juan’s wife, who extended her condolences to Lorritts’ family, but she said her husband is a good man and a father who only thinks of providing for his family.
The investigation into Wednesday’s deadly shooting is still ongoing, with police saying additional charges could be pending.
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