Roberto Carlos Mejia-Chalate, 19, and Jerry Juarez-Bernabe, 23, remain in custody at the Hamilton County Jail following their arrests in connection with a deadly shooting on Rossville Boulevard in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Both men are charged with three counts of first-degree murder and are being held on $2 million bonds. Their next court appearance is scheduled for June 18, 2025 .
The incident occurred on the night of May 17, 2025, around 11:14 p.m., when Chattanooga Police responded to reports of gunfire in the 2900 block of Rossville Boulevard. Upon arrival, officers found three male victims who had been shot: a 33-year-old man who was pronounced dead at the scene, a 44-year-old man with life-threatening injuries, and a 29-year-old man with non-life-threatening injuries .
According to the Chattanooga Police Department, the victims were in a Nissan Frontier truck that had pulled into the parking lot of a bar on Rossville Boulevard. Without provocation, the two suspects allegedly produced firearms and fired multiple times at the victims. The driver attempted to flee but crashed a short distance away. The suspects then fled the scene in a dark gray Nissan Altima .
East Ridge police officers later spotted the suspect vehicle near the AMC theater. The suspects abandoned the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot but were apprehended with the assistance of a K9 unit and drone team .
The Chattanooga Police Department’s Homicide Unit continues to investigate the case. Authorities are urging anyone with information related to the incident to contact the Homicide Tip Line at 423-643-5100.