Warrants issued in Relax Inn shooting

The victim, Timothy Wilson of Rome, is expected to recover from wounds to the neck, shoulder and hand.

Arrest warrants have been issued for a suspect in the Tuesday morning shooting of a Rome man in the parking lot of the Relax Inn, 1204 Martha Berry Blvd.

Sadarius Antwonn Mathis, 34, is wanted on charges of aggravated assault, according to Rome police detective Aaron Thacker.

“He had a room at the hotel, but he is expected to be from Atlanta,” Thacker said Thursday afternoon.

The victim, Timothy Wilson of Rome, was living at the Relax Inn. Thacker said he was shot in the neck, shoulder and hand.

“He was taken to the hospital for surgery, but he’s expected to recover. He’s going to be OK,” the detective said.

Police were called to the motel just before 10:30 a.m.

“We had initial calls that one black male was shot and one black male — the suspect — had fled the scene,” Thacker said.

Witnesses reported the two men were sitting in their cars, window-towindow, talking when one got out and fired at least three gunshots into the other car — Wilson’s Cadillac.

The shooter then drove off in his vehicle, identified as a black Kia passenger car or SUV.

“He left going north on Martha Berry toward Chattooga County,” Thacker said. “I wouldn’t expect him to still be in town.”

Wilson was taken by ambulance to Floyd Medical Center. No weapon was found on the scene.

It was unclear late Tuesday what led to the shooting. Witnesses offered several reasons, Thacker said, but police had no hard evidence of what the discussion was about.

“They were there, he got out and started shooting. That’s what we know right now,” he said.

Warrants for felony aggravated assault were turned over to the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office, which will be in charge of tracking down Mathis.