Winchester man held in death of acquaintance

Monday, October 22, 2012

A Winchester, Tenn., man is behind bars and another is dead after a downtown shooting last week.

Gregory Morris Booton, 49, was charged with criminal homicide in the deadly shooting of John Franklin Tucker, 46, Wednesday night, Chief Dennis Young said Friday.

Young said Booton, a gun permit carrier, is being held on $150,000 bond with an appearance set in Franklin County General Sessions Court on Nov. 5 before Judge Thomas Farris.

The chief said the two men were recent acquaintances who got into a dispute on North Jefferson Street that grew more heated. Booton drew a .380-caliber pistol, shooting Tucker multiple times in four locations along the street.

Officers found Tucker lying in the street. He was taken to Southern Tennessee Medical Center but he died from his wounds Thursday, Young said.

The investigation is ongoing as officials await autopsy results.

"We're still wrapping up some loose ends today," Young said. Authorities so far have interviewed two witnesses to the shooting, he said.

Mike Taylor, 12th Judicial district attorney general, said the charge of criminal homicide will change to a more specific homicide charge if the grand jury returns an indictment. The case must go through a preliminary hearing set for Nov. 5 before it can go to the grand jury, Taylor said.

Young said that he knew of no past trouble between the two men, and that Tucker, who was a truck driver, was unarmed. Booton worked at a local factory, he said.

Contact staff writer Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6569. Subscribe to his Facebook posts at facebook.com/ben.benton1 and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/BenBenton.