Opinion ID: 1060719
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Risk of Death to Others

Text: The jury found that the defendant's conduct in murdering the victim created a great risk of death to two (2) or more persons, other than the victim murdered, during the act of murder. Tenn.Code Ann. § 39-2-203(i)(3) (1982). The defendant entered a tavern and fired a shot into the air. He ordered the patrons at gunpoint to lie down on the floor. He shot and killed the tavern owner, who was lying on the floor. Upon leaving, the defendant encountered another woman outside the tavern. He ordered her at gunpoint to lie down on the ground. It was fortunate that others were neither killed nor wounded during this robbery as at least two shots were fired within the confines of a crowded tavern. Again, we are unpersuaded by the defendant's argument that the evidence supporting this aggravator is lacking in substance or persuasiveness and should somehow be given less weight. Those persons ordered to lie on the tavern floor heard the defendant threaten: We ought to just kill you anyhow and Let's kill them all and were told, [D]on't even raise your head up an inch. If you do . . . I will just blow your brains out. At least two shots were discharged by the defendant in a crowded tavern. While no additional victims were shot, the threat to their lives was very real. We again conclude that this second remaining valid aggravating circumstance is clearly supported by objectively reliable proof.