Two Southport residents arrested in connection to Sunday shooting in Panama City Beach
PANAMA CITY BEACH —The Bay County Sheriff's Office has arrested two locals in connection to a shooting in Panama City Beach.
BCSO officials said the shooting occurred around 2:50 a.m. Sunday morning at a gas station in the 8300 block of Thomas Drive.
Investigators believe two vehicles arrived at the gas station at the same time, but the occupants did not know each other. One vehicle had many occupants, including the shooting suspects Tighree Thomas, 43, and his wife, Norma Jean Thomas, 47, from Southport.
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The victims were in a truck and were from out of town. Officials said the individuals in the truck got into a verbal altercation with the people in the other vehicle over comments made to several women walking in the parking lot. The victims in the truck were telling the people in the vehicle to "leave the girls alone."
Tighree Thomas reportedly came out of the convenience store and became involved in the verbal altercation. One of the victims got out of the truck to “square off” against Thomas, and the altercation became physical. Another man got out of the vehicle, and the altercation became two against one.
Deputies said it is believed that Thomas instructed his wife to get his gun for him, and another man from the truck pulled the victim back to the truck in an attempt to leave.
Norma Jean reportedly passed a handgun to Tighree Thomas. She remained on the driver's side of the truck as her husband went over to the passenger side, opened the door, and made threats against the victim and the passenger next to him in the back seat.
The driver of the truck backed the truck up, but Tighree Thomas allegedly hung on, keeping the gun pointed at the victims. When the driver stopped and tried to drive the truck forward, Tighree Thomas fired eight shots, striking two victims in the back seat of the truck, according to BCSO.
The victims suffered wounds that were not life threatening.
Thomas and his wife got back into their vehicle and left the scene immediately, leaving behind some of the people that arrived with them.
When deputies arrived, they were able to interview the witnesses. The Criminal Investigations unit was called to the scene, and BCSO Patrol deputies assisted in making contact with the suspects, which led to their arrest.
Tighree Thomas was charged with two counts of aggravated battery with a firearm and shooting Into an occupied vehicle. Norma Jean Thomas was charged with principal to two counts of aggravated battery with a firearm and principal to shooting into an occupied vehicle.
They were taken to the Bay County Jail.
The investigation is ongoing. An additional arrest and additional charges are expected, according to BCSO.
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Southport couple arrested in shooting at Panama City Beach gas station
