BARTOW, Fla. – A 31-year-old Fort Meade man shot a 26-year-old Bartow man after he and an unknown man confronted him for hitting the third guy during an argument at a birthday party on Marshall Street in Bartow, according to police.
As the Bartow man was leaving the party after the initial fight, the other two men approached him, officers say.
That's when one of the two men, Christopher Lyle Downs, allegedly pulled out a handgun and fired multiple shots -- hitting the Bartow man in the lower back.
As the Bartow man was laying on the ground, investigators say Downs began striking him in the head.
Downs and the other man then hopped into a white pickup truck and drove away, according to authorities.
The 26-year-old Bartow man was taken to Lakeland Regional Medical Center, where he is stable.
Detective Sergeant Eric Sherouse, of the Bartow Police Department, said the Bartow man would not be charged for the initial fight, which was determined to be "a mutual combat situation."
Detectives are trying to find Downs, who has not been arrested yet. He faces charges of aggravated battery with a firearm, discharging a firearm in public and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to law enforcement.
Detectives are also working to identify the unknown person.
Anyone who knows where Downs or the other man might be should call the Bartow Police Department at 863-534-5034 or Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-8477. Click here to submit an anonymous tip online.
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