Sheriff: Drive-by shooter randomly choosing targets

Lawmen fear a drive-by shooter may be randomly choosing targets after a local man was shot in the back Thursday night as he was driving down Sparta Highway — the second random drive-by in two nights.

“We don’t want to cause hysteria but we want people to know there could be reason for concern,” said Sheriff Jackie Matheny. “We have reason to believe the drive-by on Spring Valley Road Wednesday and the ambush of the motorist on Sparta Highway are related, and we also have reason to believe these victims were chosen at random.”

The ambush on Sparta Highway left an unidentified Hispanic male with a bullet wound to his back. The victim is expected to recover from the wound which was inflicted when the shooter pulled beside his vehicle as he and his friends were returning from Christmas shopping. The shooter rolled down his window and fired at least three times with one round hitting the victim. He was treated at White County Hospital.

The shooting came about 24 hours after a gunman fired into the home of a pair of elderly women on Spring Valley Road on Wednesday evening. No one was hurt, although the house was riddled with several bullet holes. In both cases Matheny said there is no motive. A drive-by shooting Tuesday on Clark Boulevard is not believed to be connected.

“We want people to be on their guard until we figure out what is going on,” Matheny said.

Anyone having information on the shootings can call 911.