Butler County authorities are searching for a white man they believe was involved in the exchange of gunfire on the parking lot of a South Westwood business Tuesday evening.
Just before 6:40 p.m., Butler County deputies were sent to area of South Westwood Boulevard and County Road 468 to a report of a fight in progress.
The reporting party, according to Deputy Travis Huddleston's report, said there were about six black males fighting two white males on the parking lot of The Warp Zone (formerly the Cow Shed).
En route, Huddleston said, he was told shots had been fired in the parking lot and three vehicles -- a white SUV, gold SUV and a blue passenger car -- had left the scene.
Upon his arrival, Huddleston said, he contacted a man and his wife on the parking lot, as well as the business owner, Cody Harris, inside the store.
Huddleston said the man told him multiple black males "came to the store to assault Cody, and I wasn't going to let that happen since we are friends.
"(He further said) I told them we would fight like men and two males (later identified as Desean and Jordian Bell) pulled a firearm, so I walked away."
The man, Huddleston said, heard gunshots moments later, but did not turn around.
Harris, according to Huddleston, reported Jordian Bell had arrived at his business at about 5 p.m., and he went outside and asked him to leave.
Customers, Huddleston was told, had witnessed the verbal exchange, and when deputies arrived the first time, Harris told them he had asked a customer to leave.
Harris further reported Jordian Bell and his family returned, wanting to fight.
"(Harris) came out as one of them pulled a knife on a customer, and the customer began backing up and fell down over a concrete vehicle barrier," Huddleston said. "Jordian or Desean pulled a pistol and fired at the customer, and the customer returned fire as the vehicle pulled from the parking lot."
The customer, an unidentified white male, fled in a gold SUV, while the Bells fled in a white SUV, according to Lt. Charlie Phelps.
When investigators processed the scene, Phelps said, seven shell casings were found, which had been fired from "at least two weapons (as they were) two different calibers."
Six of the shell casings, Phelps said, were found in a group, while a different caliber casing was found about four to five feet away.
"What we think is they pulled a knife on him (the customer); he pulled a gun, they fired a shot and he started shooting" back, Phelps said.
At the time the shots allegedly were fired toward the Bells, Phelps said, they and their mother were inside the SUV.
At this time, Phelps said, officers have no idea what lead to the shots being fired. It also is unknown what the intent may have been toward Harris. Deputies, Phelps said, applied for a search warrant for the business in an attempt to locate any firearms. None were found, he said.
During the investigation, Huddleston said, officers subsequently learned the Bells had gone to Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center.
"Jordian Bell claimed to have been shot, but there was no evidence to support that" found by medical personnel, Phelps said.
The Bells' SUV was found at the hospital and processed.
Phelps said the SUV's passenger side back window was shattered, as was its windshield. Two rounds, he said, also went through the front passenger door.
Today, he said, deputies are attempting to identified the white male who left the scene in a gold-colored SUV.
Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's department at 785-8444.
On its Facebook page, The Warp Zone describes itself as a "one stop hippie shop and flea market."