A press conference was held at 1 p.m. today at the Columbia County Sheriff's Office concerning a shooting that occurred Sunday morning at the VFW during a non-SAU-sponsored back-to-school party that left two men dead.
Sheriff Mike Loe, Magnolia Police Chief Glenn O. Maxwell and SAU Police Chief Anthony Williams spoke. They reiterated that Brandon T. Hobdy and Wayne A. Payton had been fatally shot at the party at 1:13 a.m. Sunday. Hobdy was a senior wide receiver for the Mulerider football team; Payton was a former SAU student.
None of the three officials offered new information or commented as to whether the two men were inside the building or outside. No comment was given as to how many shots were fired or what type of weapon was involved.
Loe said his office as well as both police departments are working around the clock since the incident occurred. He said it is being investigated as a random shooting. He said video evidence has been collected but would not comment on the contents of that evidence. He said leads are coming in slowly.
Maxwell offered no description of the suspects.
The VFW building had been rented out for the party but Loe said authorities are still trying to determine who rented the building. There was no on-site security.
Loe said the biggest problem right now is getting people to cooperate. He said police do not know how many people were inside the building and he would not release the number of witnesses interviewed.