Valdosta Police Report:

On July 21, 2018 at approximately 7:00 pm, Valdosta Police responded to the Rainwater Conference Center located at 1 Meeting Place in reference to 911 calls reporting gunshots and a fight. When Valdosta Police officers and Lowndes County deputies arrived on-scene, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Personnel were called to treat an adult African American male with a gunshot wound to the torso. Once the officer arrived, it was determined there was a wedding going on at the conference center with guests from Valdosta and out of town residents. It was also determined that an altercation had started inside the venue and continued outside the building. Officers determined from witness statements that an African American Male discharged the firearm during the altercation.

VPD and Lowndes County deputies set up a perimeter around the conference center and were able to locate the offender. Witnesses were able to help detectives positively identify the offender.

“A perimeter was set up so fast that there is no way the offender was able to get away from the scene. This is a credit to the quick work of VPD and Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office. This is believed to be an isolated incident. The suspected shooter is in custody, ” stated Chief Brian Childress.

Crime Scene Technicians from the Valdosta Regional Crime Lab are currently processing the scene and VPD detectives are talking to witnesses.

The victim was taken to South Georgia Medical Center and is currently in critical but stable condition. More details will be released as they become available.