An 18-year-old man was fatally shot at a party in Harriman, leading to a 17-year-old being charged with second-degree murder, among other offences. District Attorney Russell Johnson informed that the victim, Holden Howse, suffered a gunshot wound to the head during a gathering that took place last Saturday morning at a business owned by a Harriman City Council member. WVLT reported that the incident occurred at "Mr. Clean," a vehicle and boat detailing service.
Responding to a call around 4:30 a.m. at Mr. Clean, Harriman Police discovered the wounded Howse, who was later pronounced dead at the University of Tennessee Medical Center. A speeding vehicle with two individuals from a party was pulled over by the police, with one, a 17-year-old male from Rockwood, suspected of being the shooter and charges also include an assault on another partygoer. “This is a tragic situation as a number of the participants at the party were from surrounding counties, not just Roane County, and underage drinking of alcohol and the presence of guns made for a fatal mix,” Johnson said, according to WVLT.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) has taken the juvenile suspect into custody, where he is currently being held at the Knox County Juvenile Detention Facility. The charges laid against the suspect include second-degree murder, aggravated assault and destruction of evidence. The state law in Tennessee allows for the names of juveniles over 14 years old to be disclosed if they are charged with such serious crimes, as noted in a report by WBIR.
In addition to the shooter and the immediate events of the tragedy, the investigation has raised questions about the adult supervision at the gathering. Johnson stated that an adult family member of the Harriman City Council member was present at the party, potentially as a host, thus further complicating the circumstances. The ongoing investigation is being aided by TBI agents, with an investigator from the DA's Office also involved due to the complexity involving multiple scenes and witnesses, as detailed by WATE.
