At around 10:20 Tuesday morning, Cherokee County 9-1-1 received a call in reference to a shooting taking place at a residence north of Cedar Bluff and law enforcement from across the county immediately responded to the area.

Cedar Bluff Police Chief Steve Walden was first to arrive on the scene and observed a white Ford F-150 leaving the residence at a high rate of speed headed toward the state line on Alabama Highway 9.  He initiated a short pursuit of the vehicle but lost sight of it just north of Highway 35 due to excessive speed.  Floyd County, Georgia authorities were notified of the incident and began searching for the truck as well.  It was determined that the suspected shooter, later identified as Billy Wayne Trammell, age 49 of Centre, had stolen the vehicle.

Cherokee County Investigators located the truck a short time later parked off County Road 773. Trammell was not in the truck and was believed to be on foot in the area still armed with a firearm.  After several hours of searching, authorities called off the search, believing that Trammell had assistance leaving the area.

According to Sheriff Jeff Shaver, at around 4:30 that afternoon, Trammell’s family members contacted a deputy to talk about Trammell turning himself into him at the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office. Trammell arrived and was taken into custody without incident.  “This is always our number one goal in situations like this,” Sheriff Shaver said. “Anytime someone is arrested without injuries to either the suspect or law enforcement, especially in a serious crime like this, we count this as a success.”

Trammell was booked into the Cherokee County Detention Center just before 5:00pm on warrants of Attempted Murder and Theft of Property 1st Degree.  He remains in jail without bond.

Sheriff Shaver would like to extend his thanks to the Cedar Bluff Police Department, Centre Police Department, Floyd County Sheriff’s Office, and Alabama Game & Fish for assisting in the investigation and search.