A man shot an East Carolina University scientist in what the Greenville Chief of Police said was an unprovoked attack near an elementary school Wednesday morning.
Chief Ted Sauls said the shooting took place on East Fifth Street near Wahl-Coates Elementary School at about 8:30 a.m.
"A school resource officer at Wahl-Coates heard a report outside of shots fired; employees inside the school heard it as well and contacted the SRO,” Sauls said, “The SRO is actually how we received our call. So, that school went on immediate lockdown.”
St. Peter Catholic School, about a block away from the scene, was also put on a modified lockdown.
"An unprovoked attack at 8:30 in the morning on the sidewalk, that is of concern to the community, for sure. The proximity to the schools.”Greenville Police Chief Ted Sauls
Sauls said the ECU research scientist Andrew Readyoff was walking on the sidewalk when the shooting occurred.
"Not a student, but an employee who encountered the suspect on the sidewalk,” he said. “The suspect was on a bicycle. The victim was on foot. The suspect, for whatever unprovoked reason of which will be determined later, fired on the victim multiple times. At least five times, we believe.”
Soon after, armed with a good description, the chief said an officer spotted the suspect, 38-year-old Savell Hightower, not far from the scene.
"The officer exited his vehicle to attempt to detain the individual and was immediately met with gunfire from the suspect. As soon as the suspect fired on the officer, the officer, along with two additional responding officers, returned fire,” Saulds said. “The officers were uninjured and the suspect was taken into custody without further incident following the gunfire, without injury.”
Readyoff is expected to recover.
Hightower has been charged with attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon intent to kill inflicting serious injury, assault with a deadly weapon intent to kill on a law enforcement officer, possession of a firearm by felon and possession of a stolen firearm.
Sauls said the SBI will be brought in to investigate the officer-involved shooting.
