There have been three shooting incidents in Santa Rosa County over the past three weeks. The most recent occurred Monday when a Pace man confronted someone attempting to break into his vehicle at his home on Pembrook Place. Sheriff’s officials said the victim heard noises outside his house around 6:30 p.m. and went outside to investigate. He told deputies he found a man wearing all black trying to burglarize his vehicle. As the two began to fight, a second man unknown approached to help the first man. During the struggle, one of the men pulled a handgun and shot the victim. He was struck in the leg and the finger. Reports say both suspects fled the scene. The victim received help from his family, who were home at the time. Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Sgt. Scott Haines said Thursday there was no new information, and no suspects have been located at this time. On Dec. 4, deputies were called to the intersection of Santa Villa Drive and East Avenida de Golf in Pace after receiving reports of several vehicles in the intersection and three to four shots being fired. One man driving by the intersection reported his vehicle received a bullet hole through the driver’s side window. He was treated for injuries from broken glass. Deputies said the victim was not the intended target, but was in the wrong place at the wrong time. No arrests have been made for the Dec. 4 incident. On Dec. 16, a drive-by shooting was reported in the Skyline area of Milton after two people in a vehicle fired at a man in his driveway on Julia Drive. Gregory Omar Johnson, 27, and his 24-year-old girlfriend, Barbara Leann Baggett, were arrested after turning themselves in to police days following the shooting. Witnesses say Johnson leaned out the passenger window of the car Baggett was driving and shot at the victim, who dropped to the ground. He was not injured. The shooting is believed to be in retaliation for Johnson’s cousin’s arrest in Escambia County on Friday. Anyone with information concerning any of these incidents is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 983-1190, call Santa Rosa Crime Stoppers at 850-437-STOP or submit a tip at www.srccs.com.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: County experiences three shootings in three weeks