HOT SPRINGS -- Police identified two men Tuesday who were shot Monday afternoon during an altercation at a Hot Springs tire store.
Jordan Welsh, 25, and Jonathan Mason, 24, both of Hot Springs, were in critical condition in a hospital, Hot Springs police said in a news release. The shooting remains under investigation.
Accused in the shooting was Demarion Deshuan Banks. He was taken into custody shortly before 4:30 p.m. Monday after speaking with police detectives. Banks, 25, of Hot Springs drove to the Police Department in a bullet-riddled car immediately after the shooting, which occurred shortly before 4 p.m. behind Tire Express at 635 E. Grand Ave., police said.
Banks has been charged with two felony counts of first-degree battery, punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and four felony counts of aggravated assault, punishable by up to six years. He remained in custody Tuesday in lieu of $100,000 bond and is scheduled to appear today in Garland County District Court.
According to a probable-cause affidavit, at 3:51 p.m. Monday officers responded to a reported shooting at Tire Express. Officers found two men with numerous gunshot wounds in their upper torsos.
Welsh's wife, 27, another woman and a man who were at the scene at the time of the shooting told officers that a man had showed up at the store and shot both men during an altercation.
After the shooting, the gunman pointed a weapon at Welsh's wife, the two witnesses and a fourth person, who was not involved in the initial incident, and began shooting in their direction, striking a vehicle, the affidavit said. No one else was injured.
One witness told police that her 2-month-old child was in her car, which was parked near the vehicle that was struck by gunfire.
The affidavit stated that after the shooting, Banks went to the Police Department a few blocks west of the tire shop and admitted to shooting the two men.
Banks pulled into the Police Department front parking lot in a maroon car with what appeared to be multiple bullet holes in the rear panel on the driver's side and the rear passenger window, the affidavit said. Banks, who was gesturing and appeared distraught as he talked to detectives, was checked by emergency medical personnel and was led inside by detectives, the affidavit said.
An employee at the shop told The Sentinel-Record that she was inside the building when she heard an argument behind the store and then multiple gunshots. At that point, her daughter ran into the shop and the two hid in a back corner until police arrived, she said.
She said she heard six or seven shots.
"I saw two of the guys lying on the ground," she said. "They were hit pretty good."
Another bystander said it sounded like the shooter "unloaded an entire clip."
Hot Springs police officer Joey Williams said at least 10 shots were fired.
State Desk on 10/10/2018