Efforts remain ongoing to locate and identify a man who fired a gunshot while fleeing from a traffic stop early Wednesday morning.

At around 8:45 a.m. on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, Knoxville Police Department officers conducted a stop on a Land Rover for a traffic violation in the area of Linden Avenue and Van Gilder Street. After the car came to a stop, the passenger immediately exited the vehicle and took off running. Officers briefly pursued the suspect, who fired one round while fleeing and continued to run from the scene. No known victims were struck or injured by the gunfire, and officers did not return fire.

Following the report of shots fired, numerous officers responded to the area in an attempt to locate the suspect. Knox County Sheriff’s Office’s AirWatch Unit also responded to the area to assist in the search.

At this time, the suspect has not been located or positively identified. KPD Homicide Unit detectives are leading the investigation and pursuing strong leads.

The investigation remains ongoing.