LaTashia McGowan,Glenn Branson Arrested; – Two suspects were charged July 18 in the suspected road rage shooting death of a 22 year old Smyrna resident, Rutherford County Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh said in a news release.
Suspects LaTashia McGowan, 40, and Glenn Branson, 41, both of Legacy Court in Smyrna, were charged with second-degree murder by Sheriff’s Detective Thomas Burnett.
Victim Noah Taylor, 22, was found shot and killed after his car crashed the morning of July 12 on Interstate 24 near Waldron Road, while he was on his way to work.
“Our detectives worked tirelessly to solve this murder,” Fitzhugh said. “We are relieved to place these two dangerous individuals in custody today. We are also extremely proud of our team who worked diligently to solve this case so quickly.”
Capt. Todd Sparks of the Criminal Investigations Division said detectives learned multiple rounds were fired in the road rage situation from people inside a dark-colored Infiniti SUV, according to the sheriff’s news release.
“Detectives do not believe that Taylor knew the suspects,” Sparks said. “Taylor was struck by the gunfire and crashed into other vehicles before traveling off the roadway and into a tree line.”
Patrol units with the Metro Nashville Police, LaVergne Police and Tennessee Highway Patrol and Nashville Fire Department responded to the crash scene and discovered Taylor deceased inside the vehicle.
Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office patrol deputies and Criminal Investigations Division detectives and Crime Scene responded to the scene to investigate further. The shooting is the second in the Smyrna area on the interstate within just a few months. A second man, DaKavian Quayshawn Harris, 20, and a father of two, died of a gunshot wound in the May 18 shooting on I-24 near Waldron Drive.
Mother and family mourn the loss of Taylor
Taylor and his mother, Katrina Leonard, each told one another they loved each other before he left home at 7:13 a.m. July 12 to work at CarTronics in Nashville where he had recently passed a test for advancement, a previous Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office news release said.
Taylor died 45 minutes later.
“I am so thankful and grateful I had that moment with him,” his mother said in the previous news release. Katrina Leonard and husband, Scott Leonard, Taylor’s father Scot Taylor, and children Josh and Hannah mourn for Noah Taylor.
Noah attended Rock Springs Elementary School and Rocky Fork Middle School where he played football.
“He touched so many lives,” Katrina Leonard said.
