KNOXVILLE – Two men — including the alleged gunman — have been arrested in connection with an armed robbery on the sixth floor of Reese Hall on the UT Knoxville campus Wednesday evening.
Tedrick McGregor, 18, of 1803 White Ave., Knoxville, has been charged with aggravated armed robbery, possession of a firearm on school property, using a gun in the commission of a felony, and possession of a small amount of marijuana. He is being held on $28,000 bond.
Shelby Scott is being held on outstanding warrants out of Shelby County for theft and failure to appear. He is 20 years old and also lives at 1803 White Ave.
The armed robbery is believed to have occurred between 6:10 and 6:20 p.m. Wednesday. Police say the victim didn’t call police, but told an unidentified friend about the incident. That friend reported the incident to a UTPD Community Service Officer at the Lake Avenue Parking Garage.
Once UT Police received that information at about 6:45 p.m., the two suspects were arrested in less than 15 minutes.
The victim told police one perpetrator entered his room, pulled a handgun and robbed him of cash. He said he saw a second perpetrator standing in the hallway. The victim told police he looked out of his window after the incident and saw those two men, joined by third, leaving the scene and heading toward Cumberland Avenue.
The two suspects were apprehended by UTPD officers on Cumberland Avenue near Walgreen’s.
At this time, the gun has not been recovered. The investigation is continuing and UTPD and Knoxville Police continue to search for the man seen with the two suspects.
UT Housing officials said the residence hall “swipe card” security system was working. Police said the suspects did not have hall keys or swipe cards in their possession when they were apprehended.
“Incidents such as this won’t be tolerated in our residence halls or elsewhere on our campus. We’re fortunate that no one was injured Wednesday night, and we remain dedicated to our students’ safety,” Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek said. “We are constantly refining and improving our emergency plan, and we urge students to be aware of their surroundings and cautious in their behavior too.”
Anyone with information concerning this incident should contact Knoxville Police at (865) 215-7000 or UTPD at (865) 974-3114.
For residence hall safety tips, see http://safety.utk.edu/residence-hall/.
Contact:
Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, amy.blakely@tennessee.edu)