Gabriel Adams
A Cohutta man was arrested on Thursday in Chattanooga on murder charges connected to the shooting death of Kenneth Ray Townsend on March 31.
Gabriel Mekel Adams, 19, of 1247 Derby Drive in Cohutta was arrested in Chattanooga with the assistance of the US Marshall’s Office on warrants for murder, felony murder, and aggravated assault.
Police were called to the apartment of Kenneth Townsend, 62, at 801 Selvidge Street at 2:51 a.m. on March 31, with a report that a man had been shot. When officers arrived, they found Mr. Townsend suffering from gunshot wounds to his arm and chest. He was taken by ambulance to Hamilton Medical Center where he died shortly after.
Initial information provided to investigators indicated that the shooter was a black man wearing a black hooded sweatshirt. The suspect fled the scene before officers could arrive.
Investigators followed multiple leads in the hours and days that followed and developed information that Adams was the shooter. Investigators obtained warrants for Adams’ arrest on April 2, and have been looking for him ever since.
With the assistance of the US Marshall’s Office, investigators learned that Adams might be located in Chattanooga.
On Thursday, Dalton Police Department investigators accompanied agents from the US Marshall’s Office and officers from the Chattanooga Police Department to 1611 North Orchard Knob Avenue in Chattanooga. Adams was located there and he was taken into custody without incident at approximately 11:45 a.m.
He is in the custody of the Chattanooga PD awaiting extradition back to Georgia to face charges of murder, felony murder, and aggravated assault.