Surveillance video shows man shooting apparent bystander in Portland

PORTLAND, Tenn. (WKRN) — A Portland business owner’s surveillance camera was able to capture the moment a man reportedly shot another man in the head Wednesday morning.

According to the Portland Police Department, the shooting took place at approximately 9:40 a.m. on Wednesday, July 24 in front of Planet Fitness in the 100 block of West Knight Street.

Interim Portland Police Chief Jason Arnold told News 2 the man survived because he apparently turned his head at the right moment.

According to Arnold, the suspect went to Planet Fitness Wednesday morning, walked in, walked out, and pulled a gun once he was outside, holding it to the back of the victim’s head.

The suspect allegedly shot the victim with the pistol before pointing the gun at another person, who ran away before any shots were fired. Meanwhile, the suspect — identified by authorities as Coltin James Lynch — fled the scene.

As of Thursday, July 25, the victim remains in the hospital. His family urges everyone to keep him in their prayers.

In surveillance footage of the incident, you can see the suspect walk past the victim, who was going into Planet Fitness. The suspect apparently raised a gun and shot the victim, but then the victim ran away.

It’s important to note, Lynch was kicked out of Planet Fitness the day before the shooting, according to Arnold. In addition, the victim’s family told News 2 the two men did not know each other.

“I’ve had my store here 15 years almost and I’ve never seen or heard anything like this in Portland,” business owner Angela Robertson said.

Robertson, who was at work when the shooting happened, described the situation as “very unusual.”

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“I heard a noise that sounded like a gunshot, didn’t think it could have possibly been a gunshot. One of my employees was outside smoking and she ran in and said she heard the gunshot, but we didn’t know where it was coming from until all the police started showing up,” Robertson recalled.

While officers were searching for Lynch, members of the Allen County Sheriff’s Office in Kentucky reached out, saying they believed they had found the suspect. According to police, he was found dead from “an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.”

A relative told News 2 that Lynch was suffering from mental health issues.

Arnold said the last murder that happened in Portland was in 2021 .

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a prevention network of 161 crisis centers that provides a 24/7, toll-free hotline available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. If you or someone you know needs support now, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.

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