Five arrested after shots fired into Claxton home, marijuana found

Five people were arrested early Sunday morning after deputies responded to a report of shots fired into an occupied home in Claxton, authorities said. They said deputies were helped by a series of anonymous 911 calls from a Powell man who was found with the Knoxville man alleged to have been the shooter.

Anderson County Sheriff Paul White said dispatchers began receiving anonymous 911 calls from a cell phone around 5 a.m. Sunday, reporting a shooting into a residence at 120 East Circle. However, the calls were not coming from the actual residence. Some 30 calls were made over the next several minutes, White said.

Deputies responded to the East Circle home and, when they arrived, spoke with a person on the front porch who initially gave a false name and false information about what happened. Another person was found hiding in the back yard. A third person was inside the residence.

Bullet holes were found in the front of the house. No one was injured.

After they investigated, deputies identified the person on the front porch as Cody Shane Awais, 26, and the one in hiding as Samir Joseph Awais, 23, his brother. Both had outstanding warrants in Anderson, Knox, and Sevier counties, the sheriff said.

The person in the house was identified as Alyssa Mansfield, 24, of Sevierville. No warrants were found, and she was not wanted, White said.

He said all three finally admitted the house had been shot at on two separate occasions earlier in the morning. The reason for the shooting was said to be over a “dispute.” Both the Awais brothers were taken to the Anderson County Detention Facility in Clinton on the active warrants.

Deputies then went to the address where the 911 calls were made at 360 Blacksferry Road. There they found Kevin Scott Garner, 25, and Arthur Allen Bourdeau, 20. After investigating, deputies learned Garner was the person responsible for shooting into the residence not once but twice earlier that morning, White said. They also found Bourdeau was the one who made the many anonymous 911 calls, the sheriff said.

The two handguns used in the shooting along with a large amount of marijuana and many items of drug paraphernalia were found in the residence. Both Garner and Bourdeau were arrested and taken to the Detention Facility.

Garner’s charges include six counts of aggravated assault, two counts of reckless endangerment, and manufacturing, delivering, selling, or possessing a controlled substance. Garner also had a warrant for contempt of court, White said. His bond has been set at $53,500.

Bourdeau was charged with misuse of 911 and possession of drug paraphernalia, the sheriff said. He was released on a $4,000 bond.

While deputies were conducting their investigation at the Blacksferry Road home, White said, another resident arrived and began interfering with the crime scene. The man refused to stop his disruptions and scuffled with deputies, the sheriff said. So, David Harry Wender, 30, was also arrested and taken to the Detention Facility, White said. He has been charged with assault on an officer, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest, and he has been released on a $4,250 bond.

Cody Shane Awais has a warrant for probation violation and is being held for Knox and Sevier counties, White said. His brother, Samir Joseph Awais, also has a warrant for a probation violation and is being held for Sevier County, the sheriff said.

The Awais brothers and Garner remain jailed. White said all three have prior arrests in Anderson, Knox, and Sevier counties.

Bourdeau and Wender do not have previous arrests in Anderson County, and they have been released on bond.

The sheriff said the shooting is believed to be drug-related.

White said the investigation into the possession for resale of marijuana is ongoing, and more charges could be added.

He said deputies are not sure why Bourdeau made all the anonymous 911 calls about the shooting since he was found with Garner, who was apparently the person responsible.