A Tennessee man has been charged with murder after fatally shooting the owner of a bar where he’d been evicted and then fleeing the scene in the man’s truck.
William Charles Thomas Sullivan, 24, was charged with murder after he was apprehended in a neighboring county early Saturday morning, the McMinn County Sheriff’s Office said.
“Based on witness statements, Mr Sullivan had been asked to leave the bar by the staff after making some threats with a knife, although the threats were not reported to 911 at the time,” said McMinn County Sheriff Joe Guy. “Sometime later, the suspect fired shots at other bar patrons in the parking lot. When he was confronted by the bar owner, Randy Croft, the suspect appears to have fatally shot Mr Croft before taking Mr Crofts truck and fleeing the scene.”
An affidavit obtained by WRCB revealed that Sullivan had been ejected and banned from the Double C Bar following the altercation with a knife. His girlfriend took him home then returned to the bar.
Sullivan told police that he got a neighbor to drive him back to bar and went to his girlfriend’s car to retrieve his gun. He told investigators he “accidentally” fired several times when he fell into a ditch, then “accidentally” fired several more shots when someone allegedly threw a bottle at him, WTVC reported.
Then, he said, he tried to drive away in his girlfriend’s car, but he didn’t have the key to start it. At that point, he said, Croft approached him in his truck and “displayed a small handgun.”
Sullivan said “his training kicked in and he did what he had to do,” firing from the girlfriend’s car until the gun was empty. Then he reloaded and kept firing.
He told police he wasn’t sure if Croft fired back, but he panicked when he heard sirens and saw blue lights, so he grabbed Croft’s gun and fled in his victim’s truck. He said he believed Croft was still alive when he fled.
He also said he was having a panic attack and “might have” thrown Croft’s gun out the window.
It’s not clear if investigators found a the gun the killer “might have” thrown out the truck window.
Police said he may face additional charges.
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[Featured image: Double C Bar/Google Maps. Inset: William Charles Thomas Sullivan/McMinn County Jail]
