Arrest made in Theatre Centre shooting

Four victims of a Saturday morning shooting at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre have tentatively identified their assailants, and investigators are seeking the suspects, according to Chattanooga Police Department spokeswoman Lt. Kim Noorbergen.

Chattanooga police major crimes investigators late Saturday announced they have arrested Carlos L. Key, 22, of 227 S. Seminole Drive, Chattanooga, in connection with the shootings.

Mr. Key has been charged with four counts of attempted first-degree murder, one count of felony reckless endangerment and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm.

The victims in the shooting are Martell D. Price, 21, who suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen and is recovering in an area intensive care unit; Quintarius Mitchell, 20, who was shot in the right foot and admitted to a hospital; Rodney White, 23, who has a gunshot wound to his right thigh but was not admitted to a hospital; and Philip Jackson, 20, who suffered a gunshot wound to his right foot and was not admitted to a hospital.

All of the men are from Chattanooga, though none are students at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Lt. Noorbergen said. Early reports indicated the shooting had occurred during a party at the Theatre Centre at 400 River St. sponsored by a UTC fraternity.

But the event was actually an after-Valentine’s Day party called “Friends and Lovers” sponsored by Fab 5 Entertainment, Lt. Noorbergen said.

Chuck Cantrell, a spokesman for UTC, said entertainment companies often promote their events among members of fraternities and sororities on the campus. When things go wrong at the events, he said, the campus groups are unfairly blamed.

“They have been caught in this trap before,” he said. “Entertainment promoters host these parties and promote them to our students, particularly in African-American fraternities and sororities, and they use their names sometimes.”

Fab 5 Entertainment is a company that was formed by UTC students, Lt. Noorbergen said, though none of the suspects in the shooting are students.

Police said that toward the end of the party at the Theatre Centre, about 2:30 a.m., “a shoving match” erupted into gunfire. Four suspects fled outside the theater and continued to fire shots, police said.

It’s not clear whether there was any security working the event, Lt. Noorbergen said.