Chattanooga Teenager Sentenced to Two Decades in Prison for 2022 Fatal Shooting Incident

A noteworthy sentencing occurred yesterday in Chattanooga, as a local teenager received a conviction in connection with a fatal shooting dating from 2022. Seventeen-year-old Zion Reeves pleaded guilty to a lesser offense of second-degree murder and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Details of the Case

Reeves was initially facing more severe charges, including first-degree murder and felony murder. He had also been accused of attempted first-degree murder and attempted aggravated robbery. The latter charges, however, were dismissed as part of Reeves’ plea agreement.

The Chattanooga police responded to reports of a shooting at 14 Trewhitt St on September 6, 2022. On reaching the incident location, the officers discovered 21-year-old, Chandler Caylor dead with the wound pointing to a gunshot to the neck. Kaleigh Quinn, his girlfriend and the mother of his unborn child, was also found at the scene, suffering from a bullet wound to her left leg.

The Court Proceedings

Quinn recounted the terrifying turn of events during her testimony on Wednesday. She outlined how she unsuccessfully attempted to stanch the bleeding from Caylor’s neck wound, while he gasped out his last words, “I love you.” According to prosecutors, Caylor, originally from Cleveland, Tennessee, had come to Chattanooga with intentions to sell marijuana to Reeves and two other teens.

It emerged during the court proceedings that the teenagers, including Reeves and two co-defendants Leon Abernathy and Jaylon Bell, had a plan to rob Caylor, leading to a tragedy. The situation escalated when one of the adolescents fired multiple shots at Caylor’s car as he attempted to flee from the intended robbery.

Abernathy allegedly informed the police that Reeves fired the shots, and the intent behind the arranged drug transaction was the planned robbery. Like Reeves, Abernathy and Bell face serious charges including first-degree murder, felony murder, and attempted first-degree murder.

Impact on Victims and Their Families

Quinn, battling with her recovery from a shattered femur and impending motherhood, expressed her wish during the proceedings for divine retribution against Reeves. She painfully testified to the abrupt end of a promising young life and shared her subsequent struggle with mobility and tragic loss.

Caylor’s mother, Darlene Hawkins, vented her grief and shock at the sheer senselessness of the crime. She held Reeves’ avarice and poor choices as responsible for her son’s untimely demise. The impending two decades or more of incarceration for Reeves provides little solace for the irreparable loss this devastated mother has to endure.

For these families and the Chattanooga community, this case remains a grim reminder of the repercussions of youthful misdirection and the dire consequences of unlawful activities.

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