9:45 A.M. UPDATE
Police have identified a man shot in the shoulder blade while he was trying to buy drugs in downtown Little Rock on Friday morning, officials said.
Officers were called shortly after 5 a.m. to 701 S. Scott St. and found a man lying on the ground with a gunshot wound in front of the Albert Pike Residential Hotel, according to a police report.
The man, 28-year-old Tyrone Hayes, reportedly told police he was attempting to buy drugs and "the next thing he knew, he was shot."
The bullet struck Hayes in the right shoulder blade, police said. He was taken to UAMS Medical Center for injuries police believe to be not life-threatening.
Hayes' aunt told police she drove her nephew to the hotel when he exited the car and walked around the corner of the building. The woman said she heard a gunshot and saw Hayes run back toward her before he collapsed on the road, the report said.
Police reported Hayes' address as the Albert Pike hotel.
The shooter is suspected to be a bearded white male, said spokesman Lt. Steve McClanahan.
No suspect was named on the report.
EARLIER:
Police are investigating after a man was shot Friday morning in downtown Little Rock during an apparent drug deal, officials said.
The shooting took place around 5:25 a.m. near Sixth and Seventh streets and Scott Street, said Little Rock Police Department spokesman Lt. Steve McClanahan.
The victim, who was not identified, was transported for injuries believed to be not life-threatening, he said.
There is no suspect in custody, and police are currently interviewing a few witnesses, he said.
The victim was at the location Friday morning to buy drugs, McClanahan said.
"Next thing you know, he's being shot at," he said.
Police taped off a block of Seventh Street stretching between Scott Street and Cumberland Street earlier Friday. On that block are the Albert Pike Residence Hotel and the Albert Pike Garage.
The crime scene tape was removed and officers were no longer at the scene as of 7:45 a.m.
Check back with Arkansas Online for updates.
