Panola County Sheriff’s Office: Victim, gunman injured in shooting

PANOLA COUNTY, Texas (KLTV) - The Panola County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a Thursday morning shooting.

Panola County Sheriff Cutter Clinton released a statement detailing the events of the incident. According to Clinton, the sheriff’s office began receiving calls regarding a shooting near the Full Gospel Holy Temple Church on SH 149 in Riderville around 9 a.m. Clinton said sheriff’s deputies, Carthage police, Pct. 1 and 2 deputy constables, the Panola County Fire Marshal, and UT Health EMS responded to the scene. TxDOT was also called to direct traffic, Clinton said.

When authorities arrived, they reportedly found a woman lying in the roadway with multiple gunshot wounds. Lying next to the woman was a man with a single apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound with a gun. According to Clinton, this man is considered the aggressor. The victim and shooter, both of Houston, have been transported to hospitals for treatment and are still living at the time of reporting.

Clinton said two children were found nearby in a vehicle in the church parking lot. The children were unharmed, and were taken to the Panola County Sheriff’s Office before being put in CPS custody. According to Clinton, relatives of the children have been notified of the incident, and CPS will work to place the children with family. Another child has also been found to be in the custody of the involved individuals, though this child was safe at school outside of Panola County, Clinton said.

An woman who was uninvolved in the shooting was arrested after attempting to drive through the blocked-off crime scene. The woman struck a deputy constable and nearly struck a sheriff’s deputy, Clinton said. Both men are uninjured.

No names are being released at this time.

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