On the evening of June 11, 2023, 27-year-old Anfernee Avila was shot and killed while stopped in his orange Dodge Charger in a turn lane at Walker Springs Road and North Gallaher View Road in Knoxville. An unidentified person exited another vehicle and fired multiple rounds at close range into Avila’s car. Avila was found dead by Knoxville Police when they arrived after the shooting.

A 16-year-old female passenger sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in critical, life-threatening condition. A four-year-old child in the backseat was physically unharmed, though ballistic evidence showed the child narrowly escaped injury. After the shooting, Avila’s car sped off and then crashed into an embankment. Initial reports suggested the suspect fled in a red sports car heading south on North Gallaher View Road, but that description has not been verified.

KPD’s Homicide Unit is investigating and has not released a motive; investigators have said the shooting may have been a case of mistaken identity. No arrests had been announced. Did anyone driving in that area that night see a red sports car or other suspicious activity that could help identify the shooter?