Chattanooga gangs linked to stabbing

The victim in Thursday morning’s fatal stabbing and a suspect sought by police were members of different gangs in Chattanooga, police officials said today.
But authorities still are investigating whether the fight that led to the death of 22-year-old LaTony Johnson had anything to do with gangs.“We don’t know the motive behind it,” said Sgt. Todd Rovyal, head of the Chattanooga Police Department’s crime suppression unit.Authorities continue to search for 28-year-old Courrie Long in connection with the stabbing that occurred about 2:20 a.m. at 2241 E. 27th St. The homicide came before a string of violent incidents Thursday that included a house firebombing, shots fired at a car and a house and the burning of a car. Officials are working to determine whether those incidents are linked to the stabbing, Chattanooga police spokeswoman Sgt. Jerri Weary said Thursday.
At least one of the houses targeted in Thursday’s attacks was the known home of a gang member, Sgt. Royval said.An autopsy showed Mr. Johnson died of a stab wound to the chest, according to the Hamilton County Medical Examiner’s Office.