Officials Believe Shooting Was an Isolated Incident
Posted/updated on: February 28, 2013 at 2:14 pm
RUSK — Cherokee County officials believe a shooting Tuesday involving a Rusk State Hospital employee was an isolated incident. Sheriff’s Capt. John Raffield issued a statement Wednesday saying, “Apparently there have been calls to several news outlets from concerned citizens about the safety of the general public in regards to this shooting. From all information available to investigators yesterday, last night, and this morning, we believe this was an isolated incident that was directed solely at the victim and not a random attack.” Raffield says officials “are actively pursuing what leads we have from the victim and witnesses that were at Rusk State Hospital when he arrived back at work.”
The statement continues, “An investigator spoke briefly with him last night at the hospital, but because of the medications being administered, that interview was cut short. When he is released from the hospital, he has agreed to meet with investigators on the case. At this time this department has no information on when he will be released. The victim made statements to several people prior to the shooting, that he had been in an altercation with some individuals from another county in the past week, and this shooting was in direct retaliation to that altercation. Investigators are actively pursing all leads in the case and an update on the investigation will be released as soon as it becomes available.”
Officials said earlier that the victim returned to work from lunch Tuesday with a gunshot wound to the shoulder or neck area. He’s identified as Garrett Scott Curtis, 22, of Alto.
