SUWANNEE COUNTY, Fla. — The vehicle of a gunman who shot two people to death and injured a deputy was recovered Friday morning in Columbia County. A manhunt is underway for the shooter who also injured two others during an armed robbery at a Gadsden County gas station Thursday night.
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Florida Highway Patrol chased the suspect in a vehicle pursuit that ended in a crash in Suwannee County, according to the Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office. Also involved in the chase were deputies from Suwannee and Columbia counties. After the crash at US 90 West near Goldkist Blvd / Wayne Friers sales lot, the suspect exited his car and fired on the officers striking a Suwannee County deputy.
“The deputy’s body armor minimized the impact of the shot, which resulted in non-life threatening injuries to the deputy,” a Gadsden Sheriff’s Office news release states.
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Multiple law enforcement agencies are involved in the manhunt for the killer including FHP, Jacksonville, Columbia, Gadsden and Suwannee sheriff’s offices and Lake City and Live Oak police departments.
Suwannee County residents in the area of US 90W, East of 129th Road, North of US 90 are urged to shelter in place, according to the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office.
“He shot a deputy. He’s a very dangerous person and a desperate person,” Columbia County Sheriff’s Sgt. Steven Khachigan told Action News Jax Friday morning.
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