A dispute over the ownership of a car turned fatal on the afternoon of May 15, 2024, at a 7-Eleven Exxon gas station in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, leading to the death of 23-year-old Devon 'Vonnie' Loritts, a male from Marietta, Georgia. The violent encounter unfolded around 2:30 p.m. on Joe B. Jackson Parkway when Loritts and his brother, Eric Mitchell, arrived in a silver Mercedes and confronted two other men.
The confrontation stemmed from a Chrysler 300 sedan that Loritts had previously purchased from one of the men. The vehicle had been taken from Georgia and was tracked to the gas station where the shooter and his brother were found with the Chrysler hooked to a pickup truck.
What began as a heated argument quickly escalated into gunfire. The alleged shooter, using a semi-automatic rifle, fired more than 20 rounds at Loritts and Mitchell as they were trying to drive away. Loritts was struck multiple times and was transported to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. His brother, Eric Mitchell, was shot in the arm and beaten on the head, face, and body. Mitchell was airlifted to a hospital in stable condition and survived after managing to escape into the gas station to seek help. Arriving Murfreesboro Police officers provided emergency medical aid to both victims before they were taken over by emergency medical services.
Police arrested 26-year-old Juan Charco of Antioch, Tennessee, at the scene of the shooting. His brother, who was also present and allegedly involved in the physical altercation, was interviewed by detectives and released without charges being filed against him. Charco was initially charged with second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder. The investigation, which was aided by surveillance video from the gas station, led to the charges being upgraded. Charco now faces counts of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault, tampering with evidence, theft of property, reckless endangerment, and employing a firearm during a dangerous felony.
Juan Charco was booked into the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center, and his bond was initially set at $1.5 million. The bond was later reduced to $500,000, which allowed him to be released from custody. The case is proceeding through the Rutherford County court system, with an arraignment scheduled for December 13, 2024. Further court appearances, including another arraignment hearing and a plea hearing, were scheduled for February and March of 2025 in the courtroom of Judge Barry Tidwell.
