EATONTON, Ga. — Dozens of gunshots were fired outside of a pair of Central Georgia Waffle Houses over the weekend, according to Eatonton police chief Howell Cardwell.
Cardwell says the shootings happened outside of Waffle Houses in Eatonton and Milledgeville. He said the shootings were not connected, but one is believed to be gang-related.
Cardwell said one of his officers was on routine patrol when he saw a crowd.
“He had ran a crowd out of Jet 44 which was hanging around there and it was closed," Cardwell said.
He says the officer ran them off, and then noticed they all went to a nearby area with a Walmart, Zaxbys and Waffle House, which was open. The officer then heard gunshots, and was nearly shot in the head, Cardwell said.
“As he takes cover for his safety he sees several cars and several people pulling guns to shoot at him," Cardwell said. "He sees lots of muzzle flashes in the air and calls for back up."
Cardwell says two other officers came to assist the officer, before Cardwell eventually arrived to the scene.
By the time he arrived, most of the people had fled the scene, Cardwell said. Despite that, the department is committed to finding the shooters.
“Tell the people who did this to stay out of Eatonton, and sooner or later we're coming,” Cardwell says.
He said Flock cameras have helped him find the shooters' vehicles. He says they were even able to arrest one juvenile yesterday.
Around the same time as the Eatonton shooting, Cardwell said Milledgeville police were investigating a shooting between two people at a Waffle House on North Columbia Street.
Four people have been arrested in connection to the Eatonton shooting, after attempting to pick up a person shot from the Milldegeville Waffle House, Cardwell explained.
Putnam County Sheriff Sills was a huge help to Eatonton police during the investigation, Cardwell said.
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