Armed Man Threatens Public at Buffalo Valley Rest Area, Prompting Massive Law Enforcement Response
Early in the morning on July 14, 2024, local law enforcement responded to a distressing incident at the Buffalo Valley Rest Area. A male suspect, armed with a shotgun, threatened visitors inside the center.
The incident unfolded at approximately 5:06 AM when Deputy Levi Grigg, along with Sergeant Robbie Woodard and Gordonsville City Patrolman Ian Grigg, responded to reports of a man threatening to shoot people. The suspect was described as wearing a park ranger-style shirt and a military hat.
By 5:15 AM, Deputy Grigg and Officer Grigg arrived on the scene and established a perimeter while awaiting the arrival of Sgt. Woodard and the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP). Upon their arrival, a witness confirmed that the suspect was still inside the visitor’s center. Sgt. Woodard and Deputy Grigg entered the building on the eastbound side while Officer Grigg and THP secured the perimeter. Although the visitor’s center was cleared, the suspect was not found.
The onsite security guard, who had taken refuge in a vehicle near the cemetery on the north side of the property, provided a vague description of the weapon but confirmed it was a shotgun. The guard described the suspect as having short hair, no facial hair, and wearing dark clothing.
Radio communication from THP indicated that the suspect had been spotted at mile marker 267.4 on I-40 Eastbound. Law enforcement promptly left the rest area and joined another trooper who had positively identified the suspect. The suspect’s shotgun and a Beretta pistol were discovered in a car parked on the side of I-40. When approached, the suspect fled on foot into the woods in Putnam County.
The suspect was later identified as Gregory James Daniel, 43, of Franklin, North Carolina. THP advised against pursuing Daniel into the woods due to the availability of a bloodhound from the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office. Smith County units maintained a perimeter on the westbound side of I-40 between the 267 and 268-mile markers.
Day shift officers, including Sergeant Robin Bellar and Deputy Nathan Williams, arrived to relieve the night shift personnel.
Gregory James Daniel was located and arrested near Hopewell Road in Putnam County around 3 PM that evening. He faces charges of aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, and making terroristic threats in Smith County, Tennessee. The investigation is ongoing as authorities continue to gather details surrounding the incident.
