Hart County Sheriff’s Office Investigates Shooting

Hart County authorities are investigating a shooting that happened over the weekend, but they’re not yet sure where.

Sheriff Mike Cleveland said Tuesday his office received a report of two black males at the Ty Cobb Regional Medical Center in Lavonia. One of the men was being treated for a gunshot wound to the leg.  Cleveland said the man told hospital officials he was the victim of a drive-by shooting.

“They said the gunshot victim told them he was walking down the road somewhere between the Hartwell Dam and the lottery store when someone he described as a Hispanic male drove up in a green SUV and shot him in the leg,” Cleveland said.

The man, who identified himself to hospital authorities as Willie Maruice Bell, address unknown, of Hartwell, said afterwards a good Samaritan drove up and gave him a ride to the hospital.

Cleveland said Bell had been shot in the foot, and the bullet had traveled up the his leg and lodged near his knee.  Cleveland said however, the path of the bullet made deputies suspicious of  Bell’s story.

“He was shot in the side of the foot and the bullet rode that bone up almost to the knee,” he said. “The leg was soaked in blood, he had no shoe on and a towel wrapped around his leg. And a supposed witness came by and gave him a ride to Lavonia. So, we were suspicious, but he said he got shot in Hart County so we had to work it.”

Cleveland said deputies believed Bell gave the hospital and his officers a false name.  He said a lookout was placed for the green SUV Saturday night, but no vehicle fitting Bell’s description was ever found. Meantime, the hospital transported Bell to Athens Regional Medical Center for further treatment of his leg wound.

There, Bell changed his story and told Athens Police and the hospital that he had been shot by Cambodians and that the person who gave him the ride was actually a friend and witness to the shooting.

That person was positively identified as  27-year old Omari Cornelius Hall of 226 Hillcrest Drive in Anderson, SC. However, Bell left Athens Regional before he could be treated and it is not known where he is at this time.

“He is somewhere with a bullet in his leg,” Cleveland said.

Cleveland said his investigators have contacted all area hospitals and so far, no one fitting Bell’s description has come in for treatment of a leg or bullet wound.

Meantime, Cleveland said Hall reportedly drove back to Anderson, SC and has not yet been charged with any wrongdoing. Hart County authorities are continuing to investigate.