DEMOREST – An unnamed man is undergoing treatment after receiving a gunshot wound just inside Habersham County this afternoon.
“The information that we’re getting so far is that one guy had gone to that pullover at Mineral Springs [Trail] there at the bridge to sell an iPhone, or to sell something, and ended up getting shot and robbed,” said Habersham County Sheriff’s Lt. Matt Wurtz.
“This was all supposed to have taken place somewhere around 3 o’clock this afternoon, but he didn’t make it to the E.R. until after 5 o’clock.” Wurtz said.
Wurtz said the man, whose name has not been released at this point in the investigation, was shot in the shoulder and arrived at Habersham Medical Center by private vehicle.
Other than messaging between the victim and suspect, Wurtz said the shooting was a stranger-to-stranger crime.
Sheriff’s office crime scene technicians responded to the dirt parking lot at the river entry beside the bridge on Ga. 115 at the White County line to collect evidence. A vehicle outside Habersham Medical Center also was secured and roped off until that scene is processed, Wurtz said.
Wurtz said people meeting someone to sell or buy items should never agree to do so in an unattended location.
“I want to reiterate if you’re going to meet somebody for online sales, make it in a public spot – well lit,” Wurtz said. “The sheriff’s office parking lot for that matter, a police department parking lot.”
Wurtz stressed investigators are not looking for an active shooter who is randomly targeting people.
“This, at this point, appears to have been a robbery,” Wurtz said.
The investigation is continuing, as is collection of evidence.
No additional details are immediately available.
