HOT SPRINGS -- A man charged with multiple felonies in the shooting of two men during an altercation at a tire store pleaded innocent to all counts Wednesday in Garland County District Court.
Demarion Deshuan Banks, 25, of Hot Springs appeared via video before Judge Ralph Ohm and pleaded innocent to two counts of first-degree battery, punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and four counts of aggravated assault, punishable by up to six years, in connection with the shooting behind Tire Express, 635 E. Grand Ave., just before 4 p.m. Monday.
Banks was arrested less than an hour later after driving from the scene of the shooting to the Police Department about three blocks to the west, according to an affidavit. He pulled into the front parking lot in his bullet-riddled car, where he spoke to detectives and admitted to the shooting before being taken into custody, the affidavit said.
Banks was initially held in lieu of $100,000 bond, but Ohm reduced it to $75,000 at Wednesday's hearing. According to court records, Banks' mother and other family members were at the hearing. Ohm issued a court order barring Banks from any contact with the two shooting victims -- identified Tuesday as Jordan Welsh, 25, and Jonathan Mason, 24, both of Hot Springs -- as well as three other bystanders Banks is accused of firing at, and the tire store.
Hot Springs officer Joey Williams said Wednesday that Welsh and Mason remained in "very critical" condition at a hospital.
Ohm also issued a gag order limiting pretrial publicity in the case and scheduled a felony review hearing for Dec. 3 to determine whether the charges against Banks will be bound over to Garland County Circuit Court.
The shooting remains under investigation.
Officers responded about 3:51 p.m. Monday to the shooting at Tire Express, where they found the two victims with numerous gunshot wounds in their torsos, an affidavit said.
Welsh's wife, another female witness, and a male witness who were at the scene at the time of the shooting told officers that a man had shown up at the store and shot both victims during an altercation, the affidavit said.
After shooting the two men, the gunman pointed the 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, according to the affidavit. No one else was injured.
In earlier reports, police noted that a bystander fired back at the gunman before he fled the scene.
Banks had no previous felony arrests in Garland County, only misdemeanor and traffic violations, according to court records.
State Desk on 10/11/2018