29-year-old Wesley Tipton was charged with four counts of aggravated assault and one count of convicted felon in possession of a weapon after firing multiple gunshots at an occupied SUV on Tuesday evening.

At around 5:20 p.m. on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, Knoxville Police Department officers responded to what was reported as an in-progress shooting in the 2200 block of Lonsdale Pike.

The victims – an adult man and woman – reported that they were in the area of Virginia Avenue and McSpadden Street when they saw Tipton drive by in a silver SUV. Shortly after, Tipton allegedly exited his vehicle and fired multiple shots at the victims’ car, striking it at least once.

The victims’ two children, both under the age of two, were inside the car at the time of the shooting. Nobody was struck or injured by the gunfire, though gunfire narrowly missed one of the children.

Numerous West District and Community Engagement Response Team officers quickly responded to the area in an effort to locate the suspect vehicle. Within minutes, responding officers located it on Middlebrook Pike and stopped it in the area of Keith Avenue and Mingle Avenue. There, Tipton was taken into custody.

The victims positively identified Tipton as the suspect and he was subsequently charged with four counts of aggravated assault in addition to convicted felon in possession of a weapon.