The Tennessee business leader was shot dead during the race, police say

Philip Trenary was shot dead in Memphis on Thursday.

(Memphis Chamber of Commerce)

A former airline executive and the Tennessee business leader were shot dead Thursday night as he was organizing a 4-mile run, and police raided his killer.

Philip Trenary, President and CEO of the Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce and former CEO of Pinnacle Airlines, was shot down in downtown Memphis. He organized the annual "Move it Memphis" race, during which participants along the Mississippi River.

Trident was declared dead at the One Health Regional Hospital, according to the commercial appeal.

The suspect was described as a man with dreadlocks, wearing a blue shirt and driving a white Ford F150.

The Mayor of Memphis, Jim Strickland, confused the shootings "without any sense".

"Like many of you, I am shocked by the senseless loss of Phil Trenary, a leader in our community. More than anything during these hours, I think of his family and his colleagues in the room, "he said.

Governor Bill Haslam tweeted that "our hearts are broken with the news".

Trenary founded Lone Star Airlines in Oklahoma in 1984 and came to Memphis to run a regional airline that became Pinnacle, a billion-dollar company employing more than 7,000 people. He left Pinnacle in 2011.

Associated Press contributed to this report.