A 17-year-old Alabama resident has been arrested by Chattooga County authorities in connection with a drive-by shooting that investigators say occurred earlier this month along Highway 48 near the Georgia-Alabama state line. Chattooga County Sheriff Mark Schrader announced that Ricky Paul Hawkins was taken into custody and charged with drive-by shooting, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.
The arrest stems from an investigation into a shooting that allegedly began with an encounter at RJ’s Mountain Top Store. According to investigators, Hawkins and several others approached another customer and asked him to purchase alcohol for them. After the customer declined, a verbal dispute reportedly followed.
Authorities allege that as the customer drove away from the store, the suspects passed his vehicle and a shot was fired from their vehicle, striking the front driver’s-side fender of the victim’s pickup truck.
The victim reportedly observed a muzzle flash but did not initially realize his truck had been hit. The bullet damage was discovered later after he arrived home and inspected the vehicle.
Sheriff Schrader said investigators determined the shooting could have had much more serious consequences.
“The bullet’s trajectory was such that if it had been approximately 12 to 14 inches higher, it could have struck the victim in the driver’s seat,” Schrader said.
As part of the investigation, detectives reviewed surveillance footage from the convenience store that reportedly captured interactions between the victim and the suspects before the shooting.
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities are continuing to examine the involvement of other individuals who were riding in the vehicle at the time of the incident. Additional charges could be filed as the case progresses.
Sheriff Schrader also noted an unusual legal distinction in the case. Although Hawkins is considered a juvenile under Alabama law, he is being prosecuted as an adult in Georgia.
Authorities further revealed that Hawkins was reportedly arrested in Valley Head, Alabama, several days after the Highway 48 incident on separate allegations involving drugs and weapons.
