A juvenile who allegedly shot a 20-year-old man Friday afternoon also reportedly fired his weapon at three other people, including two men who were running away from the scene, according to an affidavit released Monday.
The suspect was taken into custody shortly after the shooting and charged with committing a terroristic act, a felony punishable by up to life in prison, three counts of aggravated assault and one count of first-degree battery.
He was being held on zero bond in the Garland County Juvenile Detention Center and will be arraigned in Garland County Juvenile Court. The Sentinel-Record follows The Associated Press privacy policies and does not publish the names of juvenile offenders unless they are charged as adults.
According to the affidavit, around 3:30 p.m. Friday, Hot Springs police responded to the apartment complex at 231 Autumn St. regarding a shooting and learned one male victim, 20, had been taken by private vehicle to National Park Medical Center for treatment of a single gunshot wound to his right thigh that was non-life-threatening.
Witnesses told police the suspect who did the shooting, who was known to one of the victims, was in a white Pontiac passenger car. Officers responded to the 500 block of West Belding Street where they saw a white Pontiac like the one described parked on the street and occupied by a male driver and two female passengers.
One of the victims was brought to the location and allegedly identified the male driver as the person who did the shooting so he was taken into custody without incident.
The victim who identified the shooter was questioned at the police department and stated he and his cousin were in the lower parking lot in front of 231 Autumn when they saw a white car drive by them several times. The car finally parked across the street and he recognized the driver, noting they had known each other "since the eighth grade."
He said the driver was "acting kind of weird" and would not get out of the car. Then the driver pointed a handgun out of the driver's side window so the witness and his cousin turned to run. As they were running away, he said he heard three shots.
As they ran up toward the apartments, the witness saw his friend, the shooting victim, lying on the ground. He asked him what was wrong and the victim told him, "I think I've been shot." At that point, the witness picked up the victim, carried him to his sister's car and then they drove him to the hospital.
Another witness told police he and the shooting victim were standing outside near the apartments when they saw a white car park across the street. He said he was standing next to the victim and turned to face him when he heard several gunshots and realized the victim had been shot.
According to the affidavit, when questioned after being read his rights, the juvenile suspect admitted to shooting his handgun from the vehicle he was driving toward a group of people in the area of 231 Autumn St.
The affidavit did not indicate a motive for the shooting or if the victim that was shot was the intended target.
Local on 11/19/2019