A Bradenton man, Ronnie D. Morton III, aged 23, has been apprehended in Georgia following a shooting at a sports lounge that left five people injured, reports say. According to the WFLA, the arrest occurred at an Amtrak train station in Savannah after Morton evaded Manatee County deputies for over a week following the incident on Black Friday.
Detectives were able to track down Morton after his cellphone pinged on railroad tracks north of Jacksonville, leading to a coordinated effort between Amtrak police and Savannah authorities to detain Morton, who had boarded a train presumably heading towards North Carolina, explains WTSP. On the night of the shooting which happened just before 1 a.m. on November 29, Morton is alleged to have discharged a weapon in the parking lot of Absolute Sports Lounge, where an argument with a 25-year-old man escalated into violence striking him and four bystanders, the Manatee County Sheriff's Office recounted.
The Bradenton Herald states that all five victims sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were released from local hospitals after receiving treatment. Morton now faces charges including five counts of aggravated battery with a firearm and felony possession of a firearm, in addition to an armed robbery charge from a previous warrant.
While Morton is currently detained in the Chatham County Jail, details of his extradition to Manatee County are forthcoming; meanwhile, authorities are continuing their search for an unapprehended second suspect believed to be with Morton around the time of the shooting, he was last seen wearing a distinctive black and silver shirt marked with the number 77, as per the Manatee County Sheriff's Office, anyone with information is encouraged to come forward and can contact the Manatee County Sheriff's Office or submit tips anonymously through the Manatee County Crime Stoppers.