Gunshot victim still in critical condition

September 02, 2003|by BRIAN SHAPPELL

A Hagerstown man who suffered a gunshot wound in front of a city tavern Thursday remained in critical condition throughout the holiday weekend as police try to find his shooter.

Staff from Washington County Hospital have yet to upgrade the condition of Tony Lamar Moorehead, 25, of the 600 block of North Prospect Street, according to Hagerstown Police Department Lt. Rick Johnson. Hospital spokespeople refused to acknowledge Moorehead was being treated there.

City officers found Moorehead lying in front of the Neighborhood Inn at 139 N. Mulberry St. at 11:18 p.m. Thursday with a bullet wound to the abdomen. Police swarmed around the area of the tavern late Thursday in response to reports that someone shot two men - later identified as Moorehead and 30-year-old George "Jamal" Smith, of no fixed address.

Smith, who suffered a gunshot wound to the leg, was treated at Washington County Hospital Thursday and released early Friday.

Police have been unable to find the alleged shooter, according to Johnson.

The alleged shooter is described as a 20- to 25-year-old black man, between 5 feet 3 inches and 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighing about 180 pounds, police said. He last was seen wearing jeans, a ball cap and a dark-colored, short-sleeved T-shirt over a white, short-sleeved T-shirt, police said.

Johnson said Washington County Hospital doctors performed emergency surgery on Moorehead following the shooting.

"Due to the nature of the injury, he lost a substantial amount of blood," Johnson said.

Johnson did not comment on the extent of Moorehead's blood loss.

Johnson said it was too early to speculate why the alleged shooter targeted Moorehead.

Police arrested Moorehead in May 2000 after the Washington County Narcotics Task Force seized drugs at 118 N. Mulberry St. In January 2001, a Washington County judge sentenced Moorehead to four years in prison, with three years probation, in connection with the incident.

Johnson said detectives worked through the weekend on the case and still are attempting to talk to additional witnesses.

Police are asking anyone with information on Thursday's shooting to call the Criminal Investigation Division at 301-790-3700, ext. 234.

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