In Athens, Tennessee, a fatal shooting occurred at the Double C Bar on Hwy 30 just after midnight on Saturday, resulting in the death of the bar’s owner, Randy Croft, and the arrest of 24-year-old William Charles Thomas Sullivan. According to the McMinn County Sheriff’s Office, Sullivan had been ejected from the bar earlier that night for allegedly making threats with a knife, though these threats were not reported to authorities at the time.

Later, Sullivan reportedly fired shots at patrons in the bar’s parking lot and, when confronted by Croft, fatally shot him before stealing Croft’s truck and fleeing. Following a brief vehicle pursuit involving the McMinn County Sheriff’s Office, Tennessee Highway Patrol, and Meigs County Sheriff’s Office, Sullivan was apprehended in Meigs County. Sullivan faces murder charges, with additional charges pending, and Sheriff Joe Guy expressed gratitude for the inter-agency cooperation while offering condolences to Croft’s family.