One shooting victim still at large

Published 10:59 pm Thursday, June 6, 2013

One of two men who were shot Wednesday night was released from the hospital after receiving treatment; the second never made it there and police were still hunting him on Thursday.

Police believe that Richard Williams and Darnell Slaughter III shot each other during an incident at Shy Manor apartments. Officers were dispatched there shortly before 8 p.m. to reports of shots fired.

“I’m thinking they were shooting at each other,” Moultrie Police Department Inv. Freddie Williams said. “We’re still investigating.”

The shooting occurred in the parking lot of the apartment complex, Williams said. No weapons had been recovered as of Thursday evening.

Williams was taken to Colquitt Regional Medical Center by ambulance, where he was treated for a gunshot wound to the abdomen and later released, Williams said. Police were told Slaughter, who was shot in the arm and also may have been shot in the abdomen, was headed to the hospital in someone’s car, but he never showed up.

Perhaps the reason for that is Slaughter’s considerable legal troubles outside of the alleged shootout with Williams.

On Feb. 22, 2012, Slaughter disappeared after reaching a plea deal to settle two criminal cases.

Colquitt County court records said that Slaughter pleaded guilty in June 2010 to theft by receiving and was sentenced to probation. The probation office reported later that year that he was five months in arrears on monthly payments of $132, and on Nov. 2, 2010, he was arrested on charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of marijuana with intent and possession of cocaine.

He apparently has avoided law enforcement since he disappeared in February 2012 after discussing a plea arrangement that would settle both of those cases.

Williams has not been charged in the case.