A Hinesville man was shot Wednesday night during a scuffle with an intruder at his Pineland Square Apartments home. An unknown gunman reportedly forced his way in the apartment the victim shares with his girlfriend.
According to an incident report filed by Hinesville Police Department Patrolman Kevin Remillard, the shooting took place shortly before 8:30 p.m. in the 1000 block of Pineland Ave. in Hinesville.
The victim’s girlfriend told authorities that she and her boyfriend had just returned from grocery shopping and were unloading their vehicle. The victim was carrying two bags of groceries while his girlfriend carried one bag and her daughter. The woman told police that before they entered their home, she noticed a silver vehicle containing occupants parked a few spaces from their vehicle.
According to the report, the woman told police that she and her boyfriend went inside, but before they could shut the door, a black man wearing a dark, hooded shirt and blue jeans with a bandana covering his face rushed in right behind them and pointed a gun in the victim’s face. He demanded the victim get down on the floor. Meanwhile, two other men wearing hooded shirts and jeans entered the residence, and one pointed a gun at the woman and demanded that she quiet down.
As the second gunman was yelling at the woman, the victim began to grapple with the first gunman. During the struggle, the woman — still holding her daughter — ran into a bathroom closet, where she remained.
Remillard saw the victim had been shot in his left collarbone and had a gash, about 1 inch long, from which skin was missing. The victim was bleeding profusely and told police he had been pistol-whipped, too. He was treated at the scene by emergency medical personnel and was taken via ground transportation to Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah. HPD Chief of Detectives Maj. Thomas Cribbs said the victim was treated and released from the hospital early Thursday morning.
The victim told police he did not know the men who entered his home. The woman exited the closet when the victim told her the men had left. She was not injured.
HPD Detective Jeff Lui asks that anyone with information on the crime call HPD at 368-8211 or dial 911.