Monday Shooting at LOP leads to Arrest

Staff Reports

Pine Harbor resident Cole Messick was shot in the leg Monday evening as he was riding a dirtbike around Pine Harbor with friends.

According to a FaceBook post by Messick, he was shot in the upper leg and life flighted to an LSU intesive care unit.

“I was riding around some trails with a couple of buddies,” Messick wrote, “and we was riding down the middle of the road. This guy runs out with his hands together and awhite towel over them. I thought he was drying his hands but when I got closer he removed the towel and pointed the gun at my face. while still on the bike and moving forward, I grabbed the gun adn tried to avoid getting shot in the face. My bike turned int the mans truck that was halfway in teh road as well. So I stepped off the bike and turne dtowards him and BOOM, five feet away ol dude busted me in my inner upper leg and exited near my colon. I said ‘bro you shot me!”

Messick went on to post he went to a friends house and called 911.

“I am very very very lucky to be telling this story,” wrote Messick.

William Thornton, also a resident in Pine Harbor, has been arrested for the shooting incident by the Marion County Sheriff’s office and remains in custody in the Marion County Jail as of press time. 

According to Chief Deputy Robbie Davis, the incident is still under investigation and no reason for the shooting has been identified at this time.

According to the call card, the MCSO was notified about 7:30pm Monday evening of the incident.