News: Gunfight between 2 Rome men sends 1 to trauma center

♦ Police recover one of two guns and say charges are likely.

Two Rome men were sent to the hospital late Tuesday night after exchanging gunfire at the intersection of East Ninth Street and Maple Avenue.

According to Rome police Assistant Chief Debbie Burnett on Wednesday:

Michael Ferrell, 19, and Stevelle Henderson, 30, were engaged in an argument at about 11:30 p.m. when one of the men pulled out a gun and fired at the other. This was met by return fire.

A 9mm handgun and a .40-caliber pistol were involved in the incident, but only the 9mm was recovered by police.

Henderson, who witnesses said was approaching Ferrell as Ferrell stood on a porch on Maple Avenue, suffered gunshot wounds to both legs and a shoulder and was taken to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Ferrell suffered a gunshot wound to a knee and was being treated at Floyd Medical Center.

Rome police are continuing to investigate the shootings which left Henderson wounded on a sidewalk in front of a home on East Ninth and Ferrell injured on the porch of a residence on Maple Avenue. Both men live on Maple Avenue.

There were several other people in the area at the time, but no one else was injured.

Police do not know yet what the men were arguing about or who shot first. Toxicology tests have not been released yet by the hospitals.

Police were conducting a number of interviews with people who were in the area at the time.

“There is the likelihood there will be charges in the future,” Burnett said.

Anyone with information about the shooting should contact the Rome Police Department Criminal Investigation Division at 706-238-5111.