Man died trying to stop puppy's abuse. He would have done it '100 times over,' fiancee says.

Mariah Timms | Daily News Journal

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Robert Wilson would have fought to save the life of an animal he knew was being mistreated "100 times over," fiancee Sue Hoskins said.

Robert Wilson, 37, was shot and killed Friday night in Smyrna after attempting to stop the abuse of a Yorkshire Terrier puppy outside his hotel room.

A warrant has been issued for a suspect in the shooting, who Smyrna police said remained at large and considered armed and dangerous Monday afternoon.

Coming home

Wilson, an Oakland High School graduate, had recently moved back to Middle Tennessee from Iowa with Hoskins.

The couple both work in Smyrna, and had been living at the Uptown Suites: Extended Stay hotel while they looked for the right apartment.

On Friday night, Hoskins got a call from Wilson saying he could see a man who was holding a puppy by the throat.

“I dropped my phone and went running out there to see Rob saying, ‘why are you doing that,’” she said, “and the guy said it was his puppy and he just shot him.”

There were several witnesses in the area, according to police and Hoskins.

“All I could do was try to stop the bleeding,” Hoskins said. She put pressure on the gunshot wound in Wilson’s chest. A bystander also helped her put pressure on the wound, she said, but she didn’t catch his name.

An animal lover

Wilson was a lifelong animal lover, his family said.

“He got it from his mom,” father Rick Wilson said. Wilson, a longtime Middle Tennessee resident, moved to Panama City, Florida, about 10 years ago. He flew up Sunday morning to help with funeral arrangements.

“His mother had a dog on her gravestone, and he will, too,” Wilson said. “I’m reaching out because he got killed over a pet, basically. A pet.”

His family describe Rob Wilson as a kind, funny guy who liked to work hard and then go home to read, listen to music and watch the History Channel.

He was a Bible scholar, his father said, and could quote any scripture at any time. He worked at the Ashley Home Furniture Distribution Center.

“He was kind,” younger brother Matt Wilson said.

Suspect still at large

Police arrived on the scene to find Wilson had suffered a gunshot wound to the chest. He was transported to TriStar StoneCrest Medical Center where he was later pronounced deceased, according to the SPD.

Donavous Jerome Drennon, 35, was named in the criminal homicide warrant. A second man, still unidentified, was seen driving a "newer model" white Chevy Impala away from the scene.

Drennen is also known as Slim or Slimm Body, according to SPD.

Neither suspect is in custody at this time and should be considered armed and dangerous, the SPD said in a release. Anyone who has information on their whereabouts is encouraged to call a local law enforcement agency.

Finding a home

The puppy, a young Yorkie, has been surrendered to Rutherford County PAWS. Hoskins hopes to be able to adopt it someday.

“We feel like Rob is kind of a part of that dog now, since he died to save it,” Matt Wilson’s fiancée Jennifer Matzek said. “[The suspect] has broken some people in this and he needs to face consequences for it. These people and this family are broken.”

Funeral arrangements will be released later this week, but Rick Wilson said the family plans to ask for donations to PAWS in lieu of flowers.

A page has been set up to help offset the funeral costs and help Hoskins on the crowdfunding site Gofundme that can be found at https://www.gofundme.com/help-for-grieving-fiancee.

This shooting is only the second homicide reported in Smyrna this year.

Anyone with information about the case can contact Detective Steve Martin at 615-267-5432 or by email at steve.martin@townofsmyrna.org.

Reach Mariah Timms at mtimms@dnj.com or 615-278-5164 and on Twitter @MariahTimms.