Tamma Lee, a 57-year-old woman from Blairsville, Georgia, was tragically killed in a murder-suicide incident on August 13, 2018, in Murphy, North Carolina. The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office received a call at around 8:20 p.m. from a neighbor reporting that a woman had possibly been shot at a residence on Twin Pond Road in the Hiwassee Dam community.
The caller also mentioned that the shooter was actively engaged in firing a weapon inside the residence at the time of the call.
Upon arrival, deputies heard numerous shots and breaking glass. They were able to check on the condition of the woman, later identified as Tamma Lee, and found her deceased from an apparent gunshot wound. The shooter, identified as 27-year-old Nathan Mashburn from Fannin County, Georgia, had barricaded himself inside the residence. Law enforcement agencies, including the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Cherokee Tribal Police Department's SWAT team, Jackson County's SWAT team, Cherokee County Emergency Medical Services, Ranger Volunteer Fire Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, were called in to assist.
As the Cherokee Tribal Police Department's SWAT team approached in a Bearcat vehicle, Nathan Mashburn fired several shots at them. Authorities made several unsuccessful attempts to contact Mashburn throughout the night. Eventually, using the SBI's robot, Mashburn was found dead inside the residence from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. No one else was found inside the home.
Sheriff Derrick Palmer expressed his condolences, stating, "This is a great tragedy and loss for all concerned. Our hearts and prayers go out to all the family members of those involved in this unfortunate incident. My Office and I want to thank all the Agencies and our great public for the assistance we received during this lengthy ordeal".
