CAMDEN COUNTY, Ga. — A tragic shooting in the Camden County’s Deerwood Village community has left one man dead and a young child injured.
Crime scene tape cordoned off a section of the quiet neighborhood as investigators examined the scene. Action News Jax saw several pieces of evidence marked, including a pair of clothes, and two vehicles — a white 4Runner and an ATV.
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Deputies from the Camden County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies said they responded to reports of gunfire around 1 p.m.
An older man was reportedly shot in the middle of the roadway. When deputies arrived, they found he had been shot multiple times. He later died at Camden Medical Center. According to the sheriff’s office, a young child at the scene was also shot in the arm.
Scott McDonald, a homeowner in the neighborhood, described his initial reaction.
“Are my kids OK, ‘cause I have three daughters and I got into a panic of something happened. Tried to call my wife. She didn’t answer, so that put me in a panic. The next thing is ‘what could’ve happened here?’ because it’s such a quiet road. There’s nothing ever going on here, so I was kind of shocked,” McDonald said.
Another resident shared what she heard.
“I heard four gunshots going off. It sounded like someone was banging on my door,” said a homeowner who did not want to be identified.
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The same homeowner said she had seen the older man in the neighborhood before, but claimed he was not friendly toward residents.
“Harassing all of Harriet’s people. Swerving and trying to side swipe,” she said.
McDonald also expressed confusion over the circumstances.
“Did he live here or did they just turn in here? Because we know most of the people who live on the street and that kind of behavior doesn’t add up,” he said.
According to the older man’s son, who was at the scene and did not want to appear on camera, the man did not live in Deerwood Village. He was 64 years old. The man we spoke with said the injured child, an 11-year-old boy, belonged to him.
The child had been airlifted to a nearby hospital for treatment.
As of now, it remains unclear what led to the shooting. Homeowners in the area say this kind of violence is rare in their community.
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