This story has been updated with additional information.
A man was shot and killed Tuesday morning in Amarillo, and a suspect is in custody, authorities said.
Officers with the Amarillo Police Department responded around 8:20 a.m. July 8 to a reported shooting in the 3400 block of Janet Drive. Police said the officers found 54-year-old Christopher Scott Copeland suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
Paramedics from Amarillo Medical Services and crews from the Amarillo Fire Department attempted life-saving measures, but Copeland was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said the suspected shooter was quickly taken into custody and is being held for questioning. Investigators believe the shooting was an isolated incident and that there is no ongoing threat to the public.
APD said in an update Tuesday afternoon that, following extensive investigations and interviews conducted by APD homicide detectives, Lawrence Scott Johnston, 68, was arrested and charged with murder. “The arrest comes as a result of diligent efforts by the investigative team to gather evidence related to the case,” APD said.
Johnston was booked into the Randall County Detention Center.
The department’s Homicide Unit is handling the investigation, which remains ongoing. Police have asked the public to submit any possible digital evidence, including videos, photographs, or, particularly, audio recordings related to this incident. APD has a QR code posted in the online community update. “It is crucial for our investigators to gather all available information, especially any audio recordings that may capture the multiple gunshots that were reported,” APD said.
Additional information was not yet available.
This is a developing story; more information will be added as it becomes released.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo police identify suspect in fatal shooting who faces murder charge
Reporting by Michael Cuviello, Amarillo Globe-News / Amarillo Globe-News
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