KAIT-Jonesboro, AR-News, weather, sports, classifieds-Cemetery Shooting Leaves 1 in Custody
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By Keith Boles - bio | email feedback
NEWARK, AR (KAIT) -One man is in custody--while another fights for his life in a Little Rock hospital following a shooting in a Region Eight cemetary.
The shooting occurred at the Macedonia Cemetary which is located about two miles north of Highway 69 just outside Newark.
The Macedonia Cemetary is normally a peaceful place of rest. Not so on Thursday morning.
Independence County Sheriff Lieutenant, Brenda Bittle who commands CID, related the first call that came in.
"Dispatch received a 911 call from an unknown caller stating there had been a person shot at the Macedonia cemetary in Newark."
The victim, 19-year-old Spencer Gates was taken to the White River Medical Center in Batesville then transferred by helicopter to UAMS in Little Rock.
Bittle says Gates had been shot in the back of the neck, apparently at close range.
"Our victim was able to tell the ambulance personnel who had shot him and that was going to be a Brian Fallus."
As investigators searched for evidence at the cemetary we learned that Fallus had a record in Independence county.
Bittle, "As far as I know nothing violent. It's all been misdemeanors theft and such like that."
According to bittle, fallus had fled the scene in a tan pickup truck.
The truck was found in Batesville where Fallus apparently had borrowed a black Ford Taurus and had driven to the Newport area.
Bittle, "He is in the Newport area and it's possible that he may be turning himself into law enforcement in Newport shortly."
And indeed that is what happened.
Around 1 pm Fallus turned himself in at State Police Troop B headquarters in Newport.
He was taken back to Batesville by Independence County deputies.
So far no word on charges, causes of the incident and at last report family members say Gates was in stable condition.
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