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Atmore Man Murdered In ‘Ambush’ Shooting
September 24, 2019
An Atmore man was shot and killed in an apparent ambush early Tuesday morning, not far from Escambia County Middle School.
The shooting occurred about 2:30 a.m. on Jimbos Road, about a block from Escambia County Middle School on Highway 21.
“When officers arrived on scene, they found a male subject identified as Roderick Watkins, Jr. laying beside his car. Officers also noticed several bullet shell casings laying next to the car,” Atmore Police Chief Chuck Brooks told NorthEscambia.com. “Preliminary investigation revealed Mr. Watkins was ambushed.”
He said Watkins was returning home from work when he was shot.
The car was located in the driveway of a home at the end of the road. The back passenger window of the Nissan Altima was shattered with visible bullet holes.
“We believe at this time it was a lone gunman. At this time, we do have a person of interest, and we are actively searching for that individual,” Brook said. He declined to name the person of interest as the investigation continues.
Brook said while the gunman remained on the loose, he did not believe there was any threat to the nearby middle school. He said a K-9 team from the Alabama Department of Corrections searched the area, and it was determined that the suspect may have left the area in a vehicle.
“We believe all the children that are attending Escambia County Middle School are safe,” he said.
No possible motive for the shooting has been released.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
2 Responses to “Atmore Man Murdered In ‘Ambush’ Shooting”
So sad. Praying for the victims family.
I left a wonderful town in 1990. Atmore was a great place to live. When I returned in 2009 I was shocked at the level of violence and wickedness in my home town. Prayers for the family. Atmore police this is a challenge to you. I instead of writing traffic violations how about investigating and patrolling the part of town where these murders are repeatedly happening.