On May 29, 2021, a heated argument over a woman outside the Skyzoo bar on Lee Highway in Chattanooga, Tennessee, tragically ended the life of Eric Charles Grant II, a 32-year-old African American man. The altercation, which involved Grant and Kristijian Mrkonjic, escalated to a fatal point. Grant had challenged Mrkonjic to a physical fight, a challenge Mrkonjic declined.
Instead of engaging in a fistfight, Mrkonjic produced a firearm and chillingly told Grant, 'You're gonna die,' before shooting him multiple times.
Emergency services rushed Grant to a local hospital, but he ultimately succumbed to his injuries. Witnesses at the scene were able to provide crucial information to the police, including the license plate number of the gray Ram truck that Mrkonjic used to flee the scene. This information led to his swift identification and subsequent arrest. He was charged with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder.
The legal process that followed saw Kristijian Mrkonjic stand trial for the killing of Eric Grant. Although he was initially found guilty, a new trial was granted. However, the pursuit of justice for Grant and his family continued. In August 2024, a jury in the retrial once again found Kristijian Mrkonjic guilty of murder, reaffirming his life prison sentence. The violent incident also had repercussions for the establishment where it began, as the Chattanooga City Council voted to revoke the special exemption permit that allowed the Skyzoo bar to operate as a nightclub. Eric Grant was a 2007 graduate of Tyner High School and had continued his education at Tennessee State University. He was a father to two sons, Eric Grant III and Eyan Grant, and two daughters, Emani Grant and Cyniah Grant.
