‘It shocked me:’ Victim’s family responds to alleged self-defense shooting in Franklin

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Police are still investigating self-defense claims after a man was shot outside a convenience store in Franklin Monday afternoon.

The alleged shooter, a 29-year-old man, turned himself in to police hours after the shooting, telling them the man tried to attack him as he was walking into the store. He said he had no choice but to defend himself and shot him.

“We do know that this was an isolated incident,” Franklin Police Public Information Officer Max Winitz told WSMV. “We’re looking into the relationship between these two individuals. We’re obviously quite happy that we were able to identify a suspect and now the investigation continues into whether this was an act of self-defense.”

The 44-year-old victim was found more than a quarter of a mile away from the scene with a gunshot wound to the leg. He was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.

The victim’s cousin Anita Buchanan told WSMV the victim liked to hang out outside the store and may have some mental health concerns.

“He’s quiet, and he’s not normal, to be honest with you, but I’ve never known him to mess with anybody,” she said. “It shocked me once I heard about it because I had just talked to him, and by the time I got home, I heard he got shot.”

Police say they have not arrested anyone for the shooting and are still investigating the self-defense claims. They say they don’t know yet whether they will recommend charges to the District Attorney’s office.

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