HS man arrested for fatal shooting
Hot Springs police on Thursday charged a local man with second-degree murder for allegedly shooting a 27-yearold Hot Springs man to death on Cooper Street Wednesday night.
Christopher
Dean Harnar, 26, of
Hot Springs, was charged with second-degree murder, two counts of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm by certain persons.
Officers responding to a reported shooting at 333 Cooper St. around 10:12 p.m. Wednesday found James David Allen Echols,
27, of Hot Springs deceased inside a house at that address.
During the investigation, detectives developed Harnar as a suspect, police said in a news release. He was charged Thursday afternoon.
“No motive is known at this time,” the release said.
Harner is being held at the Garland County Detention Center on a $250,000 bond.
Police in an earlier news release said they had developed a person of interest in the case.
“We are currently following up on several leads and will update this case when more information becomes available,” police said in a news release early Thursday morning.
It was the fifth fatal shooting in Hot Springs since Mother’s Day.
The May 12 shooting claimed the life of Donyell King, 23, and seriously injured his father, Donald King, 50, during an altercation outside a residence on Lily Ruth Court.
Kaylen Dantrell Damon Burks, 23, and Tommy Eddie Woodfork III, 18, both of Malvern, are each charged with first-degree murder and committing a terroristic act, both punishable by up to life in prison, and first-degree battery, punishable by up to 20 years, in connection with that shooting.
On June 13, officers responded to a report of shots fired in the area around 200 Portland St. and found Kenneth Kelly Jr., 23. inside the residence, where he was later pronounced dead. To date, no arrests have been made in the case.
On June 19, Brian Paul Hageness, 61, was shot at 2216 Malvern Ave. and later pronounced dead at a local hospital. His wife, Elizabeth D. Hageness, 57, was charged with first-degree murder in connection with the shooting.
On June 22, Stephanie Malicoat, 40, was shot to death at a residence at 315 N. Patterson St. Levar Laron Strickland, 41, of that address was charged with second-degree murder in connection with her death.