August 1, 2025 – A customer shot and killed a suspected thief during an attempted ATM theft early Friday at a 7-Eleven Exxon on East Northfield Boulevard, Murfreesboro police detectives said.
Detectives with the Criminal Investigations Division said three individuals backed a stolen pickup truck to the store around 5 a.m., smashed a window with a sledgehammer, and used a guy wire to pull the ATM from its base. A customer inside the store opened fire, striking one of the would-be thieves.
Rutherford County Emergency Medical Services pronounced the unidentified man dead at the scene. Police interviewed the customer who shot the man and released him pending further investigation.
Investigators believe the two remaining individuals drove the stolen truck to Chariot Pointe Apartments and abandoned it with the guy wire still attached. Officers also recovered a stolen SUV believed to be connected to the crime.
Analysts with the Real Time Crime Center are reviewing public safety and license plate reader cameras to identify the getaway vehicle used by the other suspects.
A Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office K9 unit and drone operator assisted with the search for the two individuals.
Detectives said this was an isolated incident.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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