Two Fort Stewart soldiers were recently arrested and charged with firing shots in the city limits of Ludowici and tampering with evidence.

Ludowici police Chief Robert Poppell said Officer Phillip Bohannon was running stationary traffic enforcement Jan. 2 in the parking lot of the Flash Foods on East Cypress Street.

At around 9:20 p.m., Bohannon heard several gunshots nearby. He said the shots sounded like they came from behind the Subway restaurant on North Main Street, so he immediately responded to the area. Upon his arrival, the officer discovered Justin Murphy, 24, picking up seven spent shell casings in front of the apartment complex behind the restaurant.

Bohannon said he looked into an apartment because a door was open and saw a Hi-Point .45-caliber pistol lying on the couch.

Poppell said Murphy gave the shell casings to Bohannon, and the officer placed the man in custody and put him in the back of his police car.

Bohannon went back to the apartment, and the light had been turned off and the pistol removed from the couch. The officer said the door to the apartment was partially open, so he identified himself and pushed it completely open.

A second man, Jonathan Singletary, 23, then yelled “don’t shoot” from inside the apartment. Bohannon asked Singletary where the pistol was, and he said he had placed it under the couch. Singletary was then placed into custody.

Poppell said Murphy was charged with discharging a weapon within the city limits, and Singletary was charged with tampering with evidence. Both men were later identified as Fort Stewart soldiers and turned over to the installation’s Military Police division.

In other news, Poppell said that on De. 28, it was reported that a window on a storage building at the Long County Health Department had been broken. He said that anyone with information that could help in discovering how the incident occurred should contact the Police Department at 912-545-2222.

Poppell said that in traffic related-incidents between Dec. 28 and Jan. 6, citations were issued for speeding, parking irrespective of a parking sign, window tinting, DUI, open container, driving without a license, suspended registration, headlight requirement, expired tag, no insurance, adult seat belt, child seat belt and possession of drug paraphernalia.