By Roger Lanse

On Sunday, May 24, at about 11:40 p.m. Silver City police officers were dispatched to the 1200 block of North Gold Street in reference to a male who had been shot in the leg. When officers arrived at the address, an incident report stated, they were immediately greeted by a "strong odor of raw marijuana coming from inside the residence," which they continued to detect as they entered the home.

Entering the kitchen, the report said, officers noticed a male lying on the floor bleeding from "his lower torso area," and they were able to identify the 28-year-old victim. Officers placed towels on the bleeding site to help prevent further bleeding until "Fire and EMS" arrived.

A witness told the officers that he was sleeping on the living room couch and two other males were playing Xbox, when he was woken by unknown males yelling, "Get the **** down." According to the report, he and one other were told by the unknown males, one carrying a baseball bat and the other a gun, to cover their faces, and then he heard two gunshots.

The witness told officers that he stayed still until he heard the front door close, then all went into the kitchen, where they found the victim on the floor, bleeding, and immediately contacted Grant County Regional Dispatch Authority, the report stated.

Other witnesses stated they heard 2-3, 3, or 4 gunshots. The victim told officers that he did not know who the males were.

During a protective sweep of the residence, the report said that officers found drug paraphernalia and a glass jar with a green leafy substance inside, and discovered two 9 mm cartridge cases in the front yard.

The victim was transported by ambulance to Gila Regional Medical Center, and has since been released, according to GRMC personnel.