Hot Springs police on Tuesday identified two men who were shot Monday afternoon following an altercation at a local tire store as Jordan Welsh, 25, and Jonathan Mason, 24, both of Hot Springs.
Both men were in critical condition in a local hospital, police said in a news release. The shooting is still under investigation and anyone who may have witnessed the incident is asked to call police at 501-321-6789.
The alleged shooter, identified as Demarion Deshuan Banks, 25, reportedly drove to the city police department in a bullet-riddled car immediately after the shooting which occurred shortly before 4 p.m. Monday behind Tire Express, 635 E. Grand Ave., and was taken into custody shortly before 4:30 p.m. after speaking with detectives.
Banks, who lists a Lacey Street address, has been charged with two felony counts of first-degree battery, punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and four felony counts of aggravated assault, punishable by up to six years. He remained in custody Tuesday in lieu of $100,000 bond and is set to appear today in Garland County District Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit released Tuesday, at around 3:51 p.m. Monday officers responded to a shooting that had just occurred at Tire Express. Officers found the two victims with numerous gunshot wounds to their upper torsos.
Welsh's wife, 27, another female witness, and a male witness who were all at the scene at the time of the shooting told officers that a black male, later identified as Banks, had shown up at the business and shot both victims during an altercation.
After shooting the two men, Banks allegedly pointed the gun at Welsh's wife, the two witnesses and a fourth person who was not involved in the initial incident and began shooting in their direction, striking a vehicle. No one else was injured.
The female witness noted her 2-month-old child was sitting in her car, which was parked adjacent to the vehicle that was struck by gunfire.
"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," police said in an earlier release.
The affidavit states Banks came to the police department, located just a few blocks west of the tire shop, after the shooting and admitted to shooting the two victims.
Banks pulled into the front parking lot in a maroon car with what appeared to be multiple bullet holes in the rear panel on the driver's side and the rear passenger window. Banks, who was gesturing and appeared distraught as he talked to detectives, was checked by emergency medical personnel at the scene and then was led inside by detectives.
An employee of the shop told The Sentinel-Record she was inside the shop when she heard an argument break out on the back side of the business 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," she said.
Another bystander who was in the area when the shooting occurred said it sounded like the shooter "unloaded an entire clip."
Hot Springs police Officer 1st Class Joey Williams said shortly after the incident at least 10 shots were reportedly fired.
Local on 10/10/2018