Local News
John Drake Jr. is dead. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says the man wanted for shooting two La Vergne police officers on Saturday, has died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He reportedly stole a gold Chrysler 200 at gunpoint then got into the car and drove away. Investigators say he crashed it, then ran into a shed behind a home in the 1400 block of 15th Avenue South. The TBI said authorities responded to the scene and heard a muffled gunshot from the shed. When officers moved in to investigate, they found Drake Jr. dead from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Voters in Franklin resoundingly rejected a candidate for mayor who openly embraced white supremacists and Christian nationalism. Incumbent Mayor Ken Moore easily defeated Gabrielle Hanson, a local real estate developer and first-term city alderman who faced one controversy after another. White supremacists showed up at a candidate’s forum in a show of support for Hanson, who refused to distance herself from the men despite broad condemnation from fellow aldermen. Final election results show Moore garnered 12,822 votes (79.4%), compared to Hanson’s 3,322 votes (20.6%).
A Coffee County man was shot in the chest with a shotgun Saturday for allegedly playing with a dog. Deputies an address in Lakewood and found the wounded man in the driver’s seat of an SUV with a gunshot wound to his torso. Investigators determined he was shot by 62-year-old Larry Hurley after a brief argument over the victim playing with Hurley’s girlfriend’s dog. The victim’s condition was not released. Hurley was taken into custody and charged with attempted first-degree murder.
The Lawrence County Sheriff’s office is asking for the public’s help after a church parking lot was reportedly vandalized. Deputies say the destruction was in the parking area of Summertown Baptist Church. Deputies released video of the suspect vehicle, which is described as a red Ford F-150. Authorities say it’s happened “multiple times.” Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff’s office.