Chattanooga shootings, homicides up in 2021 so far compared to 2020
Mar. 9—One person is dead and five others — including a 14-year-old boy — have been wounded over the course of a violent four days in Chattanooga, adding to a year that is shaping up to be more violent than the last.
So far this year in the city, 24 people have been shot, and three of them have died. As of this time last year there had been 15 shot, two of whom died.
Chattanooga police say the number of people shot during the first few months of 2020 is difficult to compare to this year. That's because the sharp increase in gun violence is a trend that's been ongoing in Chattanooga ever since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold last March. It's a side effect of the pandemic that's been playing out in cities across the country.
With this weekend's violence, "there is nothing specific that would have 'predicted' [it]," police spokesperson Sgt. Jeremy Eames said by email. "However, it still seems consistent with the nationwide trend of pandemic-related gun violence that we are experiencing. Nice weekends equate to more people being out and more opportunity for violence. Every incident this weekend is being considered random, and [they] are in no way connected.
"Any time violence occurs in one of our neighborhoods or to one of our citizens, it has us all concerned," Eames added. "This weekend's violence directly affected six people. But those six people are part of six families, families who probably don't feel as safe now. Those families are all part of a community, communities that are all a part of this city. This does — and it should — affect us all."
The latest spate of gun violence started on Thursday when a 14-year-old boy was shot in the 3200 block of Through Street just before 6:30 p.m., according to a Chattanooga police news release. The boy was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.
Investigators determined the boy had been "engaged in a disorder" with an unidentified suspect when he was shot, the news release states. No other details were released by police.
The next day, 29-year-old Frank Usher was shot and killed in the 700 block of East 48th Street.
Police were called to the scene at around 5 p.m. and found Usher lying on the ground with a gunshot wound to his neck, according to Hamilton County court records. He was rushed to a hospital where he later died.
Investigators used the police department's "Real-Time Intelligence Center," with its network of security cameras in areas with higher rates of violent crime, and the Chattanooga Housing Authority's cameras to identify a suspect: Marvin Fallins, 51.
According to court records, the cameras captured Fallins going inside a residence in the 700 block of East 48th Street, followed by Usher.
Then, around 4:55 p.m., Usher was seen exiting through the front door while holding his neck. He then ran around the front of the building before heading around the side and then toward the rear, where he collapsed to the ground.
Fallins was then seen exiting the front door of the building with another man, related to Usher, police noted in the criminal affidavit. A firearm was seen in Fallins' hand.
Both men walked around the building to where Usher had collapsed and stood next to him. Usher's family member was then seen grabbing the gun from Fallins. Fallins left the area on foot and was seen going into a residence about a block away.
Later that same day, investigators interviewed Fallins, who admitted to shooting Usher, and the victim's family member corroborated that information.
Fallins was charged with criminal homicide and unlawful possession of a weapon and taken to the Hamilton County Jail, where he was booked on a $260,000 bond.
Usher's killing was the city's first homicide since January.
By Saturday evening, another two males — an adult and a minor — were injured in one shooting in the 600 block of North Orchard Knob Avenue.
The two teens, 17 and 18, told police they were in a field near that location when they heard shots and became aware they had been hit, according to a news release.
Both were taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries that were not life-threatening.
Police did not release any other details.
Then on Sunday, a 69-year-old man was shot while in his vehicle in the 4500 block of Rogers Road just before 6 p.m. He was taken to a local hospital with an injury that was not life-threatening. No other details were released.
That evening, another shooting left a 19-year-old man injured. The teen was in the 2100 block of Camden Oaks Drive when he was shot just after 9 p.m. He was taken to the hospital in a personal vehicle. His injury is not considered life-threatening.
"Random acts of violence are incredibly difficult if not impossible to 'plan' for," Eames said. "That being said, the areas that were affected by the violence over the weekend will certainly see some increased patrols when it is at all feasible.
"[The Chattanooga Police Department] is committed to locating and arresting anyone who would perpetrate violence in our city," he added. "However, the citizens we serve are crucial in this process. Community members can often sense when 'trouble is brewing.' And they certainly often know when a person or persons is there who may not necessarily belong People are very intuitive. If it doesn't look or seem right, it probably isn't."
Chattanooga police ask anyone with information about the incidents to call 423-698-2525 or submit a tip via the police department's mobile app. Tipsters can remain anonymous.
Contact Rosana Hughes at 423-757-6327, rhughes@timesfreepress.com or follow her on Twitter @HughesRosana.
