Something must have been in the air on Tuesday in Coffee County. Officers from the sheriff’s department investigated a pair of shootings that took place in the county — one on Hickory Lane in eastern Coffee County and the other on Second Avenue in Oak Park.
The first shooting happened around 5 p.m. on Hickory Lane, just off Burl Mill Road near the race track. An incident report from the sheriff’s office states that the alleged shooter, Antonio Guerrero Rivas, told officers that he left work that afternoon and noticed someone was following him. Rivas said that in the past, he had problems with the individual, identified as Ramir Cervantes-Maldonado. The report says that on November 11, 2023, he had filed a report stating that Cervantes-Maldonado had made threats against him. The report adds that he had paperwork in his vehicle he was turning in to the courts seeking a protection order against Cervantes-Maldonado.
According to the report, Rivas turned off Burl Mill Road on to Hickory Lane. When he did, Cervantes-Maldonado went around him, parked in the road, and got out of his vehicle. Rivas drove around Cervantes-Maldonado, the report says. As Rivas went around him, Cervantes-Maldonado allegedly hit his vehicle. Then, Rivas said, he grabbed his gun and fired several shots toward Cervantes-Maldonado.
At that point, the report says that Cervantes-Maldonado got into his vehicle and left the scene. He had been hit and was headed to Coffee Regional Medical Center. He made it as far as Budget Car Sales — he stopped there and called for an ambulance. He was transported to Coffee Regional Medical Center.
Meanwhile, back on Hickory Lane, Rivas had called 911, placed his gun on the seat of his vehicle, and waited on officers to show up. Rivas was eventually arrested and charged with aggravated assault. However, he has since been released on bond.
The second shooting took place about three hours later on Second Avenue. When officers arrived, they found Roderick Clark, 42, and Quinton Stafford, 52, with injuries. Clark had been shot while Stafford had a cut on his head.
According to Stafford, two men had approached him as he sat in his vehicle in front of his home and attempted to rob him. He began fighting them and then Clark came from around the house to help Stafford. He stated that then one of the men hit him in the head with a pistol then fired a shot. After shooting, both men ran away. The shot hit Clark but was not life-threatening.
Stafford stated that he did not know either or the men. Stafford and Clark were taken to CRMC by EMS for further treatment. No arrests have been made in the incident.