In the early morning hours of July 11, 2021, a dispute in the parking lot of the Ball Gentleman's Club on Alcoa Highway in Knoxville, Tennessee, tragically cut short the life of 36-year-old Broderick Gipson. An African American man, Gipson was fatally shot around 4 a.m. and was pronounced dead at the scene from a gunshot wound. The incident, which resulted in two other individuals sustaining non-life-threatening injuries, was not a random act of violence but stemmed from an altercation.
The Knoxville Police Department's Major Crimes Unit promptly launched an investigation into the shooting. Their efforts quickly identified 32-year-old Randolph Thomas Garner as the primary suspect. Interestingly, Garner was one of the two individuals who had been injured in the incident and had transported himself to a local hospital. Through their investigation, detectives determined that Garner had allegedly brandished and fired a handgun during the altercation with Gipson, resulting in the fatal shot.
Following his release from the hospital, Randolph Thomas Garner was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in connection with Broderick Gipson's death. He was booked into the Roger D. Wilson Detention Facility on the murder charge, as well as for unrelated outstanding warrants. His bond for the murder charge was set at $150,000. The investigation by the Knoxville Police Department remained ongoing as they continued to seek information from the public. Broderick Gipson was remembered by his family and friends as a devoted father, son, brother, and friend with an infectious smile who was always willing to help others.
