Arrest warrants issued in shooting death
Published 3:16 pm Wednesday, February 21, 2018
By Beth Alston
AMERICUS — Two arrest warrants have been made in the Saturday shooting incident that killed one man and seriously injured another. The Americus Police Department and Georgia Bureau of Investigations issued the warrants Wednesday for Tahj Malik Ruff, 20, of Americus, charged with murder, aggravated assault and three counts of cruelty to children. He is being held in the Sumter County Jail. where he was taken Monday for questioning. Americus Police Chief Mark Scott explained that the cruelty charges stem from children being present at the time of the shooting.
Another warrant has been isued for one of the shooting victims, Winfred Floyd, 26, of Americus. He will becharged with the same offenses. He remains hospitalized and is listed in stable condition.
At about 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, police were called to a shooting incident in the 200 block of Waitsman Drive. Officers found two subjects who had been shot, lying in the street. Both were transported by EMS to Phoebe Sumter Medical Center where Lynwood Kleckley, 36, was pronounced dead, and Floyd was life-flighted to the trauma center in Macon.
The shooting is being investigated jointly by the Americus Police Department and
the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Region 3 Americus Office. Ruff had been developed as a person of interest through the investigation, and was found around 10:20 a.m. Monday at a residence on Westside Drive and brought in for questioning.
Authorities are asking anyone with information about the shooting to call the Americus Police Department at 229-924-3677 or Georgia Bureau of Investigation at 229-931-2439.