In the late evening hours of September 4, 2024, a well-known 54-year-old Caucasian man, Harlon 'Scooter' Webb, became the victim of a fatal shooting in Smyrna, Tennessee. The incident, which police have described as a premeditated and planned attack, unfolded at approximately 11 p.m. in the parking lot of the Citgo gas station on North Lowry Street, a place Webb visited with such regularity that he was a familiar and welcome presence to employees and other patrons.
Webb's nightly routine of purchasing a pack of cigarettes and a Mountain Dew was tragically interrupted when he was ambushed behind the store. An attempted robbery, allegedly initiated by a juvenile, escalated, resulting in Webb being shot. Customers inside the gas station reportedly sought cover upon hearing the gunfire. Webb was subsequently discovered behind the building and was transported to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. The community was left in shock by the senseless act of violence against a man described by friends and acquaintances as consistently kind and sweet-natured. Despite facing physical challenges, he was remembered as someone who didn't let them impede his life.
The Smyrna Police Department's investigation into the homicide led to the swift apprehension of two suspects. Authorities arrested a juvenile and a 20-year-old man named Rocky Melton in connection with the fatal shooting. Both individuals have been charged in what investigators believe was a planned robbery that turned deadly. The arrests brought a small measure of closure to a community grieving the loss of a man who, through his simple daily routines and friendly demeanor, had become a beloved local figure.
