Jakhory Dortch, 22, was shot and killed outside a Days Inn on Dante Road in Knoxville in the early hours of Tuesday, July 15, 2025. Officers arrived shortly after 3 a.m. following reports of a fight and gunshots and found Dortch with a gunshot wound; Knoxville Fire Department personnel attempted life-saving measures but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Homicide detectives and crime scene technicians processed the area. Police say Dortch had been involved in a physical altercation with another man outside a motel room; that man was detained and taken in for questioning, but no charges have been filed. The Knoxville Police Department will turn the completed investigation file over to the Knox County District Attorney’s Office for review.

Dortch was originally from Athens, Tennessee. His obituary describes him as a loving and silly person who enjoyed fishing, sports, and time with family. If anyone has information about the shooting or saw events near the Days Inn that night, please come forward to assist the investigation.