SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::
A man was seriously wounded Friday night in Spalding County when he was shot while travelling in a vehicle. A second man also sustained grievous injuries in a subsequent wreck.
Authorities say the shooting occurred after midnight, when the wreck, which was unrelated to the shooting incident, was reported.
“We responded about 12:24 a.m. to Old Atlanta Road and Birdie Road to a report of an accident with injuries. When the deputies arrived, they determined one of the passengers was suffering from a gunshot wound,” said Maj. Dwayne Jones, of the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office. “The driver of the vehicle appeared to have injuries, as well, with a broken leg. So, GSP was called to work the wreck and our investigators were called to the scene to work the shooting.”
Both the driver of the vehicle who suffered a broken leg and the passenger who was shot are males. Their names are being withheld at this time.
The shooter has also been identified as a male.
“Both of the victims were in pretty bad shape,” Jones said.
The shooting victim sustained what appeared to be a single gunshot wound to the chest and the driver appeared to have suffered a compound fracture of the leg.
Both men were transported to the trauma unit of a local Atlanta hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries. The shooting victim was transported by air ambulance and the wreck victim was transported by ambulance.
Officials have not released how many shots they believe may have been fired but said it was multiple.
“Several shots were fired at the Honda. Obviously, one hit the passenger, but I don’t have the amount of shots – other than one – that potentially struck the vehicle. We know that one obviously struck the passenger in the Honda Accord,” Jones said.
The investigation remains active, but authorities have said the shooting followed a dispute at a local party.
“They had been to some type of party on Old Atlanta Road. They became involved in an altercation with some other males there at the party. As they were leaving the party, a male subject started firing shots at the Honda Accord as it was leaving the party and travelling along Old Atlanta Road. The driver, as he was fleeing the scene, that’s when the accident occurred, when the Honda Accord struck a truck,” Jones explained. “The investigation shifted from an accident to a shooting incident.”
The location of the party is not yet being released, but it was in the vicinity of the wreck.
Publisher’s note: The Georgia State Patrol-Griffin Post investigated the automobile collision. That information, including the status of the truck’s occupants, will be reported separately when it becomes available.
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