A Hot Springs man allegedly shot two other men following a physical altercation at a local tire store, then drove to the city police department in a bullet-riddled car after exchanging fire with a bystander, Hot Springs police said.
The two men, who police said were shot multiple times behind Tire Express, 635 E. Grand Ave., shortly before 4 p.m. Monday, were in critical condition at a local hospital at presstime. Police said the two victims were not being identified pending family notification.
The suspect, Demarion Banks, 25, of Hot Springs, was charged with two counts of first-degree battery and five counts of aggravated assault, police said in a news release Monday night.
He was being held at the Garland County Detention Center on a $100,000 bond.
An employee of the shop said that officers located two men with multiple gunshot wounds on the back side of the business. She said she was inside the shop when she heard an argument break out and then someone fired multiple gunshots. At that point, her daughter ran into the shop and the two of them hid in a back corner until police arrived.
"I saw two of the guys lying on the ground ... (I heard) six or seven shots. They were hit pretty good," the witness said.
Another bystander who was in the area when the shooting occurred said it sounded like the shooter "unloaded an entire clip."
Police responded to a "shots fired call" at the tire shop at 3:51 p.m. Monday and located the two victims, both white males. The release said that at the same time officers were responding to the tire shop, Banks pulled into the front parking lot of the police department, located a few blocks west of the shooting scene.
"During the course of the investigation and witness statements, it was determined that Banks became involved in a physical altercation with the two victims, for an unknown reason. During the fight, Banks pulled a firearm and shot both victims. He then began to point the gun at several bystanders and then shot at a subject that was not involved in the disturbance. That subject returned fire at Banks, who then fled the scene and drove to the police department," the release said.
A maroon car with what appeared to be multiple bulletholes in the rear panel on the driver's side, and the rear passenger-side window, was parked in the front lot of the police department when reporters arrived.
Banks, who was gesturing and appeared distraught as he talked to Hot Springs police detectives, was checked by emergency medical personnel in the parking lot and then escorted inside by the officers.
The parking lot around the car was cordoned off with yellow crime scene tape as numerous detectives processed the scene.
Hot Springs police Officer 1st Class Joey Williams said shortly after the incident that at least 10 shots were reported fired in the incident at the tire shop and the two victims were in critical condition.
Local on 10/09/2018