25 year old Garth Cantrell, charged with shooting 21 year old Joseph Givens in the face with a 22 caliber rifle Thursday night, is now seeking assault charges against Givens and another man, claiming they beat him up prior to the shooting.
Charges are currently pending against the two men.
Smithville Police were summoned to 303 White Street at 11:35 p.m. Thursday and found that Givens had been shot in the face by a 22 caliber rifle. Cantrell was identified as the man who did the shooting, but he had apparently left the scene in a pick-up truck with another person.
During radio communications with Smithville Police Officer Steve Deffendoll, Sheriff Patrick Ray says he spotted a gray Toyota pick-up truck traveling on Mountain Street with it’s headlights off and he stopped the vehicle near the intersection of East Main Street and Bright Hill Road. Inside the truck was a 22 caliber rifle.
Sheriff Ray says Cantrell, a passenger of the truck, had a bloody nose and mouth and he was taken to DeKalb Community Hospital for treatment. Cantrell was then transported to the DeKalb County Jail where he was booked for attempted first degree murder by Smithville Police.
Investigators have not confirmed it, but sources say Cantrell had been out with a friend that night and that after they stopped at the White Street location, Givens and the other man approached the vehicle, where Cantrell was sleeping, and started beating him. Cantrell awoke to the attack and after the incident, he left, got a 22 caliber rifle, returned to the scene, confronted Givens, and then shot him.
The arrest warrant against Cantrell states that “Garth Wayne Cantrell did shoot Joseph Givens in the face area with a .22 caliber rifle at 303 White Street. Mr. Cantrell got into a fight with Givens and another subject and left and returned with the rifle and shot Mr. Givens, causing serious bodily injury. Mr Cantrell admits to doing this shooting.”
Givens was taken to Vanderbilt Hospital and has since been released. He reportedly suffered a serious eye injury.
Cantrell remains in jail under a $125,000 bond. Since his arrest, Cantrell has also been charged with violation of probation. He appeared in General Sessions Court on August 31st and was granted probation after being sentenced on charges of possession of a schedule VI controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. He received two sentences of 11 months and 29 days to run concurrently.
He is scheduled to appear in court on the attempted murder charge October 5th.
Vester Parsley, Jr., attorney for Cantrell, declined to make any statement in Cantrell’s defense at this time.
Archived News & Obituaries