SULLIVAN COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) – A local sheriff is calling a bystander with a carry permit a hero after a domestic-related shooting at a dentist office in Tennessee.
The shooting was reported Wednesday morning at David Guy Dentistry on Circle Drive, near Colonial Heights Road.
Sullivan County Sheriff Jeff Cassidy said a gunman walked into the office and shot his wife, who later died.
A bystander, with a gun, shot the suspect and held him down until authorities arrived.
“I’m not sure where he was at at the time, but I’m calling him a hero,” Cassidy told reporters. “He took care of the situation until police officers arrived. And the suspect has gunshot wounds, and he is in the hospital right now.
“He was a concealed carry permit holder and I’m going to call him a hero today.”
During a prayer service for the woman who was killed, a pastor acknowledged the bystander who had a gun.
Colonial Heights Baptist Church Senior Pastor Burton told a crowd Wednesday to thank God that the shooting was stopped by a citizen with a permit to carry a weapon.
He reminded them about what the sheriff kept saying, that it could have been much worse.
Burton also described the couple as well known in the community and shared that he had a difficult time accepting the news of his friend’s death.
“They were people that were well thought of and when your friend in the community, you’ve got good friends and so when you lose a friend like that, someone that you think a lot of, it’s tender,” Burton said.
Authorities have identified the gunman accused of fatally shooting his wife as 63-year-old Harry Weaver. WJHL also confirmed Weaver is a local school bus driver.
Cassidy said the suspect entered the dentist office and shot his wife, 52-year-old Kelly Weaver. Kelly Weaver was an employee at the dental practice.
According to witnesses, Kelly Weaver was going through a divorce with the suspect.
Police said Kelly Weaver suffered several apparent gunshot wounds.
Deputies say Larry Seagroves, a dental patient in the office with a carry permit, shot the gunman and held him until law enforcement arrived.
Officers reported that when they arrived, Seagroves was standing over the suspect pointing a semi-automatic handgun at him. The sheriff’s office says Seagroves goal was to hold the suspect down until officers arrived.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, it’s rare for a citizen to intervene in an active shooter situation with a gun.
