Noah McGlawn

A Tennessee man who shot a random passing motorcyclist on U.S. 72 East Monday told Athens Police he did it because he was angry at his father who wanted him to go to trade school and he “just wanted to shoot someone.”

Police charged Noah Andrew McGlawn, 20, of Whitesville, Tenn., Monday night with attempted murder and shooting into an occupied vehicle. 

After shooting the cyclist on U.S. 72 East with a .22-caliber pistol, he fled. Later in the afternoon he called central dispatch and told them he had shot a motorcyclist, Police Chief Floyd Johnson said.

He told Investigators Chris Slaton and Johnny Campbell he shot Brandon Matlock, 23, of Athens, as he passed him heading west on 72.

The victim, who was listed in fair condition today in Huntsville Hospital’s surgical intensive-care unit,  had told police that as he passed the shooter’s green SUV, he looked over and saw a man pointing a pistol who then fired. Matlock sustained two bullet wounds — one in the right, lower back area and one in his right shoulder, Johnson said.

McGlawn admitted to police he had never seen Matlock before and that the shooting was random.

“McGlawn told investigators that after the shooting he drove around and got to thinking about what he had done and decided to turn himself in,” Johnson said. “I’ve been doing this 30 years and this was a cold act. It was just a matter of who he was going to shoot.”

The chief described the shooting as  “totally bizarre and out of character for our community,” adding that people “have to be careful at all times.”

Johnson said “(the cyclist) did not see the gunman coming and there was nothing he could do.”

Background

The incident occurred about 2:15 p.m. on U.S. 72 East in Athens.

Despite his wound, the cyclist was able to stop his black and white sportbike on the emergency road in the median and walk across the eastbound lanes of 72 to Eagle Up Golfing Center.

He was conscious and sitting on a bench in front of the golf center when Athens Police, Athens Fire & Rescue and emergency personnel arrived. After ambulance personnel stabilized him, a MedFlight helicopter landed on a golf ball-strewn driving range just behind the golf center to take him to the hospital.

A portion of the westbound lanes of U.S. 72 were closed to traffic so APD officers could analyze the scene.

Several of the victim’s family members rushed to the scene and were preparing to make the drive to the hospital. The victim’s mother said her son telephoned her after the shooting and she told him to call 911.

An off-duty Alabama state trooper happened to be practicing at the golf driving range when the shooting occurred, Johnson said.