Authorities say a man was airlifted to a Houston-area trauma center Sunday afternoon following a shooting near Rye.
The incident occurred around 12:30 p.m., according to Liberty County Sheriff’s Capt. Ken DeFoor. The location of the shooting is still under investigation.
The shooting victim is identified as Larry Jones, unknown age and place of residence. Jones was shot in the right shoulder.
Preliminary information suggests Jones was attempting to sell an item to someone when he was shot, DeFoor said.
“He claims he was trying to sell a knife sharpening kit behind a store. When deputies reviewed surveillance video from the store, the victim’s vehicle was not seen,” DeFoor said.
The victim then allegedly told deputies the shooting may have occurred along nearby train tracks, but no evidence to support that claim has been found, the captain added.
“The victim has given conflicting statements,” he said.
He drove himself to Rainbow Baptist Church, located at the intersection of FM 787 and SH 146, where a call for emergency assistance was made.
No other information is available at this time.