CHATTANOOGA — Nichalos Dewayne Moore was bound over to the grand jury on charges of first-degree murder and two counts of tampering with evidence in connection with the May 3, 2026, shooting death of Zackary Tyler Miller in Chattanooga. General Sessions Court Judge Tori Smith ordered Moore, 19, held on a $400,000 bond with conditions of house arrest and drug screening if released, following a preliminary hearing.

Zackary Tyler Miller, 27, was killed outside a Circle K near the intersection of Highway 58 and Highway 153. According to court testimony, Moore and two friends had gotten off work around midnight and walked from the Oakwood Apartments to a Speedway store after their shift at Zaxby’s. When they were unable to buy slushies at Speedway, the group went to the nearby Circle K.

A witness testified that before the shooting, a man in a black pickup truck yelled a racial slur at the group, gestured at his face, and drove toward them before leaving. Later, as the group stood outside the Circle K, a white male approached and followed them while yelling, “What’s macking?” The witness said Moore retrieved a gun and fired three shots after the man continued to follow them.

Another witness testified that Miller kept reaching under his shirt before the shots were fired, and that Moore fired three shots at Miller. Prosecutor Jason Demastus stated that Miller was unarmed and that Moore retrieved a gun from a bag, pointed it at Miller, and fired three times. Demastus also stated that premeditation can be formed in a short time, supporting the first-degree murder charge.

Detectives testified that Moore disposed of both the gun allegedly used in the shooting and his cell phone afterward. Defense attorney Lizzy Schmidt argued that the murder charge should be reduced, saying, “Obviously, he was trying to protect himself and his friends.”

Following the hearing on July 12, 2026, Judge Tori Smith bound over the first-degree murder charge and two counts of tampering with evidence to the Hamilton County Grand Jury. A witness also testified that the group ran back to their apartment complex after the shooting. Chattanooga is the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee.