KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — After around two months in 2024, the Knoxville Police Department reported three road rage incidents involving guns. Police report a rise in this trend since 2019.
"Road rage happens everywhere. It's not in certain areas of town," said Greg Mangan, Owner of Drive 4 Life Academy, Inc. "We're heavy contributors to road rage shootings, and it's getting worse every year."
In one road rage shooting, a driver was wounded by gunshots after allegedly cutting a person off at an exit. The suspect allegedly yelled at him and followed the driver before shooting him. The driver then drove himself to the hospital.
"The individuals who did that do get away, because the car is, of course, mobile," said Don Bosch, a legal analyst for WBIR.
In the two other 2024 cases, drivers were threatened by guns. In one case, a suspect stuck a black pistol out a window and honked at an intersection. In the other, two guns were pointed at a couple after they were stuck in snow and slid down a road.
"The mere display of a weapon does constitute placing an individual in fear with a deadly weapon, and thus it becomes aggravated assault," said Bosch.
Last year, KPD reported 24 road rage incidents involving a gun. The year before that, authorities reported 15 incidents. In 2020 and in 2019, 11 cases were reported.
"We've certainly seen an increase in road rage cases, where people are displaying a firearm in a threatening manner," said Bosch.