SAVANNAH, GA (June 7, 2015): Detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division of the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department are investigating a fatal shooting believed to have occurred during a drug transaction on Savannah’s south side Saturday evening.
Valantine Dwight Gant, 26, died at Memorial University Medical Center after the 7 p.m. shooting. A 3-year-old child who was in the car with him was treated for minor cuts believed to be from shrapnel during the shooting.
Southside Precinct Patrol officers had responded to the 100 block of Edgewater Road for reports of males in two cars shooting at each other. A car horn drew their attention to a car in the parking lot of a small apartment complex where they found Grant and the child.
Detectives are trying to identify the gunman in the second car, described as a black sedan.
Maj. Richard Zapal, commander of Metro’s CID, said a quantity of drugs and paraphernalia indicative of a drug transaction were found in the car.
“To me it’s as incredible and appalling that someone would take a 3-year-old child to a drug transaction as it is that someone would shoot into a car with a child in it,” he said. “It’s tragic that one person has lost his life, but an innocent child could have been hurt just as seriously. This community should be helping us get this shooter off our streets. We do not need him free to hurt anyone else.”
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Crimestoppers at (912) 234-2020 or text CRIMES (274637) using the keyword CSTOP2020. Tipsters remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.
A Tip Line also is open directly to investigators at (912) 525-3124 and most area clergy have agreed to serve as liaisons for anyone who would like to share information with police anonymously.
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