A man from Tennessee has been charged with murder after allegedly shooting a bar owner to death, following his eviction from the premises, and then escaping in the victim’s truck.
William Charles Thomas Sullivan, aged 24, faces murder charges after being arrested in a neighboring county early Saturday, as stated by the McMinn County Sheriff’s Office.
“Based on witness reports, Sullivan was asked to leave the bar for making threats with a knife, although these threats were not reported to 911,” explained McMinn County Sheriff Joe Guy. “Later, it seems Sullivan fired at people in the bar’s parking area. When the bar owner, Randy Croft, confronted him, Sullivan appears to have shot Croft fatally, then fled in Croft’s truck.”
An affidavit obtained by WRCB clarified that Sullivan was thrown out and banned from Double C Bar after the knife incident. His girlfriend drove him home before she returned to the establishment.
Sullivan informed the police that he persuaded a neighbor to drive him back to the bar to retrieve his gun from his girlfriend’s car. According to him, he “accidentally” discharged it multiple times after tripping into a ditch, and then “accidentally” again when someone reportedly threw a bottle at him, as WTVC reported.
After that, he attempted to flee using his girlfriend’s car but couldn’t start it since he lacked the key. During this time, Croft supposedly approached him with a small handgun in his truck. Sullivan then took Croft’s truck to flee.
Sullivan said “his training kicked in and he did what he had to do,” firing from the girlfriend’s car until the gun was empty. Then he reloaded and kept firing.
He told police he wasn’t sure if Croft fired back, but he panicked when he heard sirens and saw blue lights, so he grabbed Croft’s gun and fled in his victim’s truck. He said he believed Croft was still alive when he fled.
He also said he was having a panic attack and “might have” thrown Croft’s gun out the window.
It’s not clear if investigators found a the gun the killer “might have” thrown out the truck window.
Police said he may face additional charges.
