Inset left: Tyler Linn (Savannah Police Department). Inset right: Matthew Traywick (Vaden Automotive). Background: The Target located on Abercorn Street in Savannah, Georgia (Google Maps).
A family in Savannah, Georgia, is mourning the loss of a father who was tragically shot and killed during a dispute over a parking space outside a Target store, according to local authorities.
Tyler Linn, 30, faces charges of murder and aggravated assault, as announced by the Savannah Police Department on Monday. The charges stem from a fatal altercation that took place on Sunday afternoon.
The incident occurred around 4 p.m. in the parking lot of a Target located on Abercorn Street in Savannah. While details about whether the victim was accompanied remain unclear, officials confirm that an argument erupted between him and another man, identified as Linn.
During the confrontation, Linn allegedly fired a gun, hitting Matthew Traywick. Traywick, who was a father to three young children, was found by police suffering from gunshot wounds. Despite being rushed to a nearby hospital, he succumbed to his injuries.
Linn did not flee the scene and was subsequently arrested by police. According to Savannah District 6 Alderman Kurtis Purtee, the deadly shooting was provoked by a disagreement over a parking spot, as reported by local CBS affiliate WTOC.
“The shooting occurred as a result of an argument over a parking spot,” Savannah District 6 Alderman Kurtis Purtee said, per local CBS affiliate WTOC.
Savannah Mayor Van Johnson expressed his condolences and outrage over the “tragic act of violence in a place where people should feel safe.”
“Our hearts go out to the family and loved ones of the victim,” Johnson said. “No disagreement over a parking space, or anything else should ever end in the loss of life. This needless, unnecessary violence underscores the daily pain felt by families across our city and the urgency of our collective work to reduce gun violence and strengthen community safety.”
While Traywick’s age is unclear, a post by his former employer and a GoFundMe set up to help his family show his children are young and that he was “the sole provider for their family.”
According to WTOC, Linn served in the United States Army from 2015 to 2023.
As of Monday, the investigation into the shooting was ongoing.
