Four shot, three dead in string of shootings in Springfield
SPRINGFIELD (AP) — Four men were shot and three killed in a spree of shootings Friday, Springfield authorities said.
The violence shocked the town of about 14,300 people some 25 miles north of Nashville.
“This is probably one of the worst days in the history of Springfield,” Police Chief Mike Wilhoit said.
Wilhoit said investigators hadn’t decided if a suspect was still on the loose or whether one of the victims might have shot himself after attacking the others.
The shootings are being investigated as “separate homicides or attempted homicides,” but investigators were looking for a link, he said.
The chief didn’t know if the victims were friends or in business together but said they probably knew each other. “It’s a small town,” he said.
The first shooting was reported at 10:26 a.m., Wilhoit said. Steve Head, owner of the Springfield Golf Club, was found dead in his house.
Four minutes later police responded to a call about 3 miles away and found Paul Long seriously wounded at his downtown business, Long Auto, Wilhoit said.
Jackie Wilkerson, director of the city ambulance service, said Long suffered a “very devastating” head injury. He was taken by helicopter to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville and was in critical condition Friday.
At 11:21 a.m., police were told the body of Donny Wilks had been found on a downtown street.
About two hours later, police were called to a fourth scene and found Jerry Lam dead at an abandoned warehouse.
Ages of the victims were not available and police didn’t have occupations for Wilks and Lam.
The shootings stretched the resources of the Springfield police and emergency services. Wilkerson said the string of shootings tied up four of his five EMS crews.
Officers were still combing over the four scenes Friday night, looking for clues and connections, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation was helping, Wilhoit said.
“Rumors are flying” about the motive, Wilhoit said. In response to a reporter’s question, he said he had no information about the shootings being tied to a poker game or other illegal gambling at the golf club.