Carly Juliene Ellis, a 19-year-old Caucasian female, was a lifelong resident of Chattanooga, Tennessee, where she was known for her vibrant and outgoing personality. A 2014 graduate of Ooltewah High School, she had been a cheerleader and was crowned a Homecoming Princess in her freshman year at Silverdale Baptist Academy. Friends and family remembered her for her beautiful smile and her love for dancing and playing the piano, talents she showcased for three years at the Riverbend festival.
At the time of her passing, she was a student at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, a member of the Sigma Kappa Theta Phi Chapter Sorority, and worked two jobs at Bar Louie and RAW Dance Bar and Grill.
On the afternoon of March 15, 2016, a tragedy unfolded inside a home on Lewis Street in Chattanooga. At approximately 1:09 p.m., Aaron Randal, a 22-year-old man who had been dating Carly for a few weeks, was in another room when he unintentionally discharged a firearm. The bullet traveled through a wall and struck Carly in the neck, inflicting a mortal wound. Police responded to the scene and found Carly fatally injured.
Aaron Randal was detained for questioning in the immediate aftermath of the incident. The investigation into the circumstances of the shooting led authorities to deem it a negligent or accidental discharge of a firearm. After a review of the case, it was determined that criminal charges would not be pursued against Randal. The community mourned the sudden and tragic loss of a young woman who was remembered as a kind and loving person who never met a stranger.
