A North Greenwood man was shot in an apparent home robbery Monday night, and four suspects — ranging in age from 18 to 22 — are being held in connection with the case.
Greenwood Acting Police Chief Johnny Langdon said a call came in at around 10:35 p.m. from a home at 515 E. Claiborne Ave. Marvin Pate and Tommy Francis live at the residence.
When police officers arrived at the home, Pate was found lying on his back with a single gunshot wound to the left side of his abdomen, Langdon said.
Pate, a longtime employee of Greenwood Leflore Hospital, serves as the hospital’s director of information services.
Pate was taken to Greenwood Leflore Hospital for treatment and remained there this morning. No condition report on him was available from the hospital.
Langdon said that Pate told investigators that he and Francis were tutoring one of the suspects, a 20-year-old, in an effort to help the young man get his General Educational Development (GED) certificate. When the young man went outside to supposedly smoke a cigarette, he allegedly returned with three other males, one of whom shot Pate.
Although two shots were apparently fired, only one hit Pate, Langdon said.
Pate and Francis — who was with Pate at the time of the shooting — could not identify the other suspects.
Francis was uninjured in the robbery, Langdon said.
Pate and Francis had the best of intentions and were set up, Langdon said. “Robbery was the motive.”
Police were able to apprehend the four suspects overnight. They remained at the Leflore County Jail this morning.
The suspects are expected to be charged with armed robbery, aggravated assault and attempted aggravated assault today, Langdon said.
The Commonwealth doesn’t generally identify suspects until they have been formally charged.
- Contact Bob Darden at 581-7239 or bdarden@gwcommonwealth.com.
- An earlier version of this article included the picture of the wrong house where the shooting occurred. It also incorrectly had the youngest suspect's age as 17.
