The ACC Police public information office said officers responded to a call at a residence approximately 8:45 p.m. ET Saturday in the Five Points section of Athens, Ga. Upon arrival they found a 30-year-old woman and a 31-year-old man, both from Athens, who had been shot.
Both were transported to a local hospital, where the man subsequently died. He was later identified as Townley.
The shooter was identified as a 32-year-old male with a Dunwoody, Ga., address and was known to the victim, police said, and the incident appears to involve a domestic violence situation.
No charges have been filed but the investigation remains ongoing.
Townley made 76 career starts in the Xfinity Series and 110 in the Truck Series between 2008 and 2016. His only win came in 2015 in the Truck Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Townley’s father, Tony Townley, is the co-founder of the chicken chain Zaxby’s.
John Wes Townley, Athenian Motorsports Chevrolet
Photo by: NASCAR Media