A California man is in custody today for an early morning shooting that left one man dead and another in critical condition in downtown Columbus.
Daniel Pail Copple, 43, of Lucerne Valley, Calif., is accused of shooting 33-year-old Mark Caudill, of Birmingham, Ala., multiple times at about 12:30 a.m. today inside the Elbow Room Lounge at 4118 Second Ave. N.
Caudill, who has a mother and sister in Columbus, died almost instantly, according to Lowndes County Coroner Greg Merchant.
The other victim, a male Columbus resident whose identity was not released, was taken to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle, where he was listed in critical condition at 10:30 a.m. today, said police Public Information Officer Terrie Songer.
Charges against Copple were still pending at 10:30 a.m. today, Songer said.
The cause of the shooting and the relation of the victims to the shooting and each other was unclear to police this morning, Songer said.
“I don”t know what happened (in) there — no one does,” she said of the club.
Police Chief Joseph St. John said officers were still collecting information and should have more information today.
Although the details surrounding the shooting are hazy, Songer said the suspect entered the club after hitting a pedestrian, Carl Allen, of Columbus, and leaving the scene at Eighth Street North and Third Avenue North.
A witness wrote down the license plate number and gave it to police, who tracked his truck to the Gilmer Inn, where he had booked a room for the night, she said. While officers were there, 911 received its first call of shots fired at the club at 12:42 a.m.
When officers arrived, witnesses pointed out Copple, who was in the road with a handgun beside him, Songer said. He was taken into custody peacefully, although he “went crazy” in the squad car, cursing officers and passersby.
Altogether, fewer than 10 shots were fired, said Merchant, who pronounced Caudill dead at 1:20 a.m.
Merchant, who declined to release the number or location of wounds until after the suspect was interviewed by police, said he would take the Caudill”s body to Jackson for an autopsy Thursday.
“There”s just so many loose ends on this thing at this point right now,” Merchant said.
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