A 40-year-old man was wounded during a homecoming celebration at Butler Baker School in Eatonton early Saturday.
Police Chief Howell Cardwell said the man was shot in one of two shootings that happened around 1 a.m.
As of early Saturday afternoon, the shooter remained at large. Cardwell said the shooter has been identified, and warrants were obtained for his arrest.
“We will not stop until we find him,” Cardwell said.
Cardwell said officers responding to the call had difficulty getting to the scene because traffic was “at a standstill” around the historic school.
“When Officer (Chad) Burket and I got out of our vehicles, gunfire rang out over our heads,” he described.
Those gunshots were coming from a different location than where the first shooting happened, according to Cardwell. He said Putnam County Sheriff’s Detective Lt. Harry Luke and Sgt. Justin Brock also responded by assisting the police officers.
While they looked for the shooter, Cardwell found the victim, who had one gunshot wound in his right thigh. He was flown by medical helicopter to Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center. He has since been released and is recuperating at home.
Cardwell said the shooting is believed to have stemmed from a verbal argument that turned physical.
“Lt. Luke, Sgt. Brock, Sheriff Sills, and all my officers worked nonstop to help me identify the suspect and work the scene, and I really appreciate what they did,” Cardwell said.