James Tony McKenzie, 49, died on the afternoon of Wednesday, June 4, 2014, after a firearm discharged while he was driving northbound on Highway 58 in Decatur, Tennessee. Witnesses reported his car suddenly crossed lanes and stopped in a gravel pull-off; by the time first responders arrived he had a gunshot wound to the upper left thigh. Investigators with the Meigs County Sheriff’s Office concluded the bullet likely struck the femoral artery, causing rapid, fatal blood loss, and ruled the shooting accidental. Evidence at the scene indicated no other people were involved, and no arrests or suspects were identified.

McKenzie, a 1983 graduate of Meigs County High School, was remembered locally as friendly and social, a regular handgun carrier with a valid permit, and an avid NASCAR fan who supported his son at the track. The precise mechanics of how the weapon discharged while he was driving remain unclear. If anyone knew Tony McKenzie or saw him on Highway 58 that afternoon, please come forward with information.