On January 26, 2025, at approximately 2 a.m., a gunman shot up in front of the Dream nightclub in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The gunman, a 24-year-old male, approached a group of patrons that was standing in the parking lot of the club and shot up the group using a handgun.
A security guard at the nightspot, in body armor and carrying a rifle, was quick to neutralize the shooter. Surveillance video indicates that the guard shot back in a controlled manner, firing approximately two dozen rounds at the shooter. The gunman was hit in a non-life-threatening way, after which he was taken to be given medical attention and was taken into custody afterward.
The identity of the heroic security guard has not been made public. Both co-owner JaMichael Smith and security head Joe Reed credited the swift, professional action of the guard. Reed emphasized that it was a coordinated attack, noting that security cameras confirmed that the gunman parked his truck a block away and sneaked up to the club before he opened fire. He said,
“It was a swift response on behalf of our licensed security guard that did what he was tasked to do to preserve innocent lives.”
In the incident’s aftermath, there has been no confirmation of charges to be brought against the security guard. The Dream nightclub had previously increased security after a shooting in December 2024, when alcohol services were temporarily banned in the club. The security was increased by hiring ten security guards, upgrading metal detectors, and installing sophisticated surveillance cameras.
This event is one of a spate of Chattanooga nightclub shootings that indicate ongoing safety issues in Chattanooga’s night scene.
