LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The community of Searcy is on high alert after police responded to multiple shootings Tuesday night, one of which was fatal.
The Searcy Police Department responded to a shooting at the McDonald's on East Race Street at approximately 8:30 p.m., which is where two men were shooting at one another.
As a result of the gunfire, police said that both men were transported to the hospital where they later died as a result.
"It was two males that were in a dispute," Searcy Police Chief Hernandez said. "There was some gunfire, and as a result of that gunfire both of the males passed away."
The Dogwood Manor and The Ridge apartment complexes also experienced shootings in an unrelated incident to the McDonald's shooting.
"It was very scary to come home to this, Dogwood Manor resident Markay Brock said.
Police said that a small white passenger car was witnessed leaving the scene of both apartment complexes, which leads authorities to believe the shootings are related.
"Both apartment complexes, eyewitnesses said a small white passenger car had left the scene as soon as the shooting was done," Hernandez said. "Which is why we're saying that those two are related."
Brock said she's lived at the Dogwood Manor apartments for a couple of years and hasn't felt unsafe until now.
"I was at work last night," Brock said. "When I came home, there just seemed to be mass confusion."
Bullets ricochetted off cars and hit apartment windows, but police said no injuries were reported.
"[My] whole back windshield was just shattered out," Brock said.
Brock's apartment was also hit with bullets.
"When I want to take off my shoes and set them by the front door is when I noticed a little hard piece of plastic," Brock said. "It was a little piece of my window blind that was broken off and on the floor."
A similar situation also happened over at The Ridge apartments. Police said shots were fired at both apartments within 30 minutes of each other.
Hernandez said this isn't common for the City of Searcy.
"We don't typically see homicides in Searcy, there are few and far between," Hernandez said. "We're thankful for that, but to start out the first three days of the year with one that's not how we wanted to start it."
In addition to finding those responsible for the apartment shootings, he's also asking people to stop spreading misinformation online.
"As long as he's loose, and sure there's a danger, but it's not like, what's probably being spun on social media that he's going door to door just shooting random people," Hernandez said.
Police are searching for 26-year-old Aaron Warren in reference to the apartment shootings. He's not a suspect, but authorities said they'd like to speak with him to get more information.
The Searcy Police Department is also asking the public for help and encourages anyone who may have information to contact the Searcy Police Department's Criminal Investigations Division at (501) 279-1038.
Police said people who report info can remain anonymous and they also ask that nobody approach Warren if spotted.