1 dead, 1 critical in shootings
A suspect is arrested, and weapons and cash are recovered moments after a second shooting in West Rome.
Police in both Rome and Floyd County are searching for the motive behind a shooting spree Tuesday night that left one man dead and another hospitalized after shootings at two convenience stores in West Rome.
Parmjit “Rimi” Singh, 44, owner of the Hi- Tech Quick Stop at 500 Burnett Ferry Road, died from multiple gunshot wounds. Parthey Patel, clerk at the store at 204 N. Elm St. was listed in critical condition at Floyd Medical Center on Wednesday after he was shot during a robbery minutes after the shooting on Burnett Ferry Road.
The shooter, identified as Lamar Rashad Nicholson, 28, of 1347 Redmond Road, was arrested after Sheriff’s deputies spotted a vehicle that matched the description of a SUV that fled from both locations.
Nicholson is charged with murder, aggravated assault with the intent to murder, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and armed robbery.
Maj. Jeff Jones with the Floyd County Lamar Rashad Nicholson police said officers did recover security video from the initial location and it shows the suspect walked into the store and immediately fired three shots at Singh, who was standing behind the counter.
A second employee, a woman, was standing off to the side and was not injured.
Jones said there was no attempt to rob the store, that Nicholson simply walked in and opened fire.
Nicholson left and went to the Elm Street location where he robbed the store before shooting Patel in the torso.
Lt. John Walters with the Rome police said there were two witnesses inside the Elm Street store who immediately hid in a cooler when they saw Nicholson pull out the 9mm handgun. Those witnesses were able to give police a good description of the getaway vehicle, a silver or grey Jeep Patriot, and it matched the description from the Burnett Ferry Road shooting.
Sheriff’s deputies stopped the Jeep near the intersection of Redmond Road and Redmond Circle. Jones said they took Nicholson into custody without incident and recovered the gun believed to have been used in both shootings.
Security video from Elm Street was used to help confirm Nicholson as the shooter, Walters said.
A search warrant was obtained by investigators who later recovered money which Jones said he believes was taken from the Elm Street location.