A trip from Atlanta to Detroit ended in gunfire on I-640 West in Knoxville early on a Sunday morning when a fourth man in a rented Ford Bronco opened fire inside the vehicle. Thirty-three-year-old Troy Hutchison of Atlanta and 25-year-old Rodrell Jeter of Detroit, who were cousins, were fatally shot. A third man, a 22-year-old from Detroit, was also shot and left in critical condition.

The shooter fled in the Ford Bronco, which was later found abandoned in Kentucky. Knoxville Police say the group appears to have been traveling from Atlanta to Detroit and that the victims reportedly had no prior criminal history or known ties to the Knoxville area. Family members said the men were trying to help someone when the situation turned deadly; motive remains unclear.

Investigators describe having strong leads but had not publicly identified a suspect or announced any arrests in the immediate aftermath. Anyone who may have information about the shooting or the vehicle is asked to contact East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers.