A fistfight Sunday night that escalated to the shooting death of a 31-year-old Lumberton man apparently was in self defense, Lamar County Sheriff Danny Rigel said Monday, Aug. 19.
The shooting was reported about 7 p.m. Sunday at Little Black Creek Road, Rigel said. Lamar County Coroner Cody Creel identified the shooting victim as Henry Johnson, whose body was sent to the State Crime Lab for an autopsy.
Creel said Johnson was taken to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Lamar County Sheriff Danny Rigel
Rigel said the shooting arose out of “a pretty bad fight.”
“There were several witnesses,” he said. “They thought the guy didn’t have any other choice to get (Johnson) off of him. We’re investigating it like it is a homicide. It will be presented to the grand jury after we get the autopsy reports. After all of the evidence is complete, it will go to the grand jury.”
Rigel said the man who shot Johnson may have believed his life was in danger.
“I think there was a big size difference between the two guys,” he said. “A pretty good size difference between the two guys (existed). I guess he thought he was really going to kill him so he had to shoot him to keep (Johnson) off of him."
“Even after he shot (Johnson), was giving him CPR,” Rigel said.