Smyrna, already grappling with the quiet unease that settles after a tragedy, is contending with the weight of violence after the killing of a local man at a neighborhood gas station. In what police are calling a "planned attack," Harlon Webb, 54, was fatally shot in the parking lot of the Citgo on Lowry Street on Wednesday night. Webb, affectionately known as "Scooter" by those in his community, was ambushed around 10:45 p.m., as reported by WSMV.
Upon hearing the gunfire, customers sought refuge inside the gas station, signaling the immediacy of the threat from the robber. A juvenile attempting to rob Webb started a chain of events that led to his death, according to reports from the Smyrna Police Department. Webb was later found shot behind the store and subsequently died at a hospital. Caught in connection to the deadly robbery, a juvenile and a man named Rocky Melton are now in police custody, as News Channel 5 confirmed.
Webb's presence was a regular fixture to the employees and patrons of Citgo. He was recalled fondly as a man of routine – his purchase of a pack of cigarettes and a Mountain Dew, a small yet revealing portrait of his everyday life as described by employees. "It's pretty sad because I seen him every day," said Gina Averitt, an employee, who took solace in his daily acts of kindness, "He was always nice and polite to me. We cut up every day that he came up here," she said, per WSMV report.
The nature of the attack, unexpected in what is typically seen as a safe and quiet area, brings forth sobering reflections on security and community. "He was just a sweet guy. Everyone that knew him loved Scooter," Linda Pastor, a friend who went to church with Webb, grieved. Swallowed by disbelief, she recounted his life beyond the tragedy, declaring, "I would just want him to be honored for the man that he was — the sweetness and kindness he always portrayed to people. Scooter did not let his physical challenges keep him from doing what he wanted to do," according to her emotional tribute, as reported by News Channel 5.
