GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) — A man charged with second-degree murder for a Saturday afternoon shooting in Greene County allegedly shot his girlfriend’s ex-partner after the victim had been harassing him and his girlfriend in the time leading up to the shooting, a police report states.
The victim, John McCann, had reportedly been served an order of protection stating he must stay away from his ex-girlfriend.
Liam MacDonald-Gagnon, of Gray, is charged with second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of McCann at a wooded area along Knight Hollow Lane in Mosheim around 3:40 p.m. Saturday. A Greene County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) incident report states that McCann was shot more than 10 times with a .40-caliber pistol.
After responding to a neighbor’s 911 call, GCSO Deputy Joe Harness interviewed several people who had run to the scene after hearing gunshots. An EMS squad quickly arrived and pronounced McCann dead.
Harness reported that he then began to speak to MacDonald-Gagnon and his girlfriend.
MacDonald-Gagnon told Harness the couple noticed McCann “following them closely on Pates Hill (Road) in an aggressive manner,” the report states. McCann was yelling at the couple from his vehicle to meet them at a gas station and they eventually did, Harness reported.
After a verbal altercation there that MacDonald-Gagnon said eventually drew an employee out of the parking area, he and his girlfriend left but McCann continued to follow them. MacDonald-Gagnon and his girlfriend stopped along Knight Hollow and McCann drove up to them a short while later.
MacDonald-Gagnon told Harness that McCann began shouting at him again and telling him to leave, but that he also blocked MacDonald-Gagnon’s truck and “drove towards him and continued to be aggressive.”
MacDonald-Gagnon eventually left his truck “wielding a … pistol in his hand at the low ready and approached the victims (sic) driver’s side door,” Harness wrote. MacDonald-Gagnon said after some continued arguing, McCann noticed his pistol and turned to reach toward his center console.
“Suspect states at this point he fired what he believed was 12 rounds toward the victim, striking him several times,” Harness wrote.
MacDonald-Gagnon’s girlfriend told Harness that McCann had moved to Tennessee with her when they were dating but that they had broken up a couple of months ago, “and he has been harassing and stalking her since.”
She said she and other family members had gone to court to file an order of protection after McCann had shown up at her house more than once making threats.
MacDonald-Gagnon, 26, is being held in lieu of a $500,000 bond at the Greene County Jail. He was arraigned Monday and his next hearing is set for Nov. 1 in Greene County Sessions Judge Kenneth Bailey’s court.