Shootings injure man, damage vehicles

A 20-year-old man was shot and two vehicles were struck by bullets in two incidents early Thursday that occurred within a short time in the same area of Morphew Road in Garland County.

The first incident occurred shortly before 1:30 a.m. at a residence in the 100 block of Brookdell Place, near the 200 block of Morphew, authorities said. A man, 21, and woman, 53, reported being awakened by what sounded like “banging on their vehicles,” according to a Garland County sheriff’s report released Friday.

Stepping outside, the two discovered their vehicles, a silver Toyota Tacoma and a black Infinity QX30, had been struck by bullets, the report said. The house was not hit, the report stated, and no other information was given.

In the second incident, a man, 73, reported hearing a loud bang about 4 a.m. outside his residence in the 100 block of Lakeview Point, which also is off the 200 block of Morphew. He said he walked out of his room and found his son, 20, lying on the hallway floor “screaming and bleeding,” according to the sheriff’s office.

He said he checked outside and didn’t see anyone, and told his wife to call 911. Arriving deputies found the injured son in the hallway and noted that he had several gunshot wounds in his arms, legs and torso.

It was noted that there were bullet holes in the victim’s bedroom window and wall. LifeNet responded and transported the younger man to CHI St. Vincent in Hot Springs. His condition was not known Friday.

Deputy Courtney Kizer, the department’s public information officer, said Friday that both shootings were still under investigation and that no arrests had been made.

A neighbor, who lives across the cove from the Lakeview Point residence, said she was awake around 4 a.m. when she heard “what sounded like rocks falling,” and went into the kitchen to check the freezer thinking it was ice cubes dropping.

The neighbor said her husband, who doesn’t hear well, also was awakened by the noise and told her it sounded like automatic gunfire.

“It was really loud,” she said. “It startled me.”

She said they later saw sheriff’s units and an ambulance at the house and saw deputies using searchlights to comb the surrounding area. She noted that she didn’t hear any gunshots around 1:30 a.m. although she was up at that time.