PORTLAND, Tenn. (WKRN) — A 20-year-old man has been charged in connection with the shooting death of a teenager in Portland in February.
Austin Dill, 19, was shot on Saturday, Feb. 22 at around 5 p.m. and died from his injuries the next day at TriStar Skyline Medical Center.
According to court records, 20-year-old Trevor Ethan Choate was arrested Monday night and charged with reckless homicide in Dill's death.
“He would give you the shirt off his back if you asked for it,” Dill's uncle Darrin Moss told News 2. “No matter you was, young or old, he would walk up to you and just hug you and tell you he loved you and start talking to you.”
Dill was beloved by his family and in his community. According to his obituary, the 19-year-old’s “ability to light up a room was unparalleled,” and he had a “unique gift for making others feel valued.”
Moss said his nephew loved cars and was known for driving his Camaro. In fact, Dill’s friends put together a car show in Bowling Green on Saturday, March 1 to honor his legacy.
“When Austin got shot, we thought that everything was going to be okay, but God must have had bigger plans for him,” Moss told News 2.
Hundreds of people have donated more than $19,000 to a GoFundMe set up to help Dill’s family cover their medical bills, funeral expenses and other essential costs. If you would like to contribute, click here.
Portland Police Chief Jason Arnold told News 2's Andy Cordan Choate confessed and turned himself in to authorities. Choate was booked into the Sumner County jail Monday night on no bond.