Barry Eugene Evans Sr., 60, was shot and killed just after midnight on January 1, 2026, in the 2000 block of Neyland Drive in Knoxville, near the University of Tennessee campus. Officers found him with at least one gunshot wound; he was taken to UT Medical Center and pronounced dead on arrival.

Investigators identified a vehicle of interest and detained its two occupants after locating the vehicle at a gas station on East Summit Hill Drive. By midday authorities located and detained 44-year-old Dytangie Jerosski Woodfin in the area of Spruce Street and East Fifth Avenue; following questioning Woodfin was arrested in connection with the shooting. Police say Woodfin and Evans knew one another and had been involved in an altercation that escalated to the fatal shooting. Woodfin, a convicted felon, faces charges including first-degree murder, being a convicted felon in possession of a weapon, and employing a firearm during the commission of a felony. The precise reason for the dispute has not been released and the investigation is ongoing.

Evans, known as Big Gorilla, was a father and grandfather who owned a refurbishing company and was remembered for his work ethic and community ties. Does anyone with information about Evans, Woodfin, or the events around Neyland Drive that night have details to share?