GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) — A suspect is in custody after Greenville police said a man, who is an employee from East Carolina University, was shot in an unprovoked attack Wednesday morning that forced a school into lockdown.
Shooting investigation on Fifth Street in Greenville (Kenneth Roundtree, WNCT photo) 
Shooting investigation on Fifth Street in Greenville (Kenneth Roundtree, WNCT photo) 
Shooting investigation on Fifth Street in Greenville (Kenneth Roundtree, WNCT photo) 
Shooting investigation on Fifth Street in Greenville (Kenneth Roundtree, WNCT photo) 
Shooting investigation on Fifth Street in Greenville (Kenneth Roundtree, WNCT photo) 
Shooting investigation on Fifth Street in Greenville (Kenneth Roundtree, WNCT photo) 
Shooting investigation on Fifth Street in Greenville (Kenneth Roundtree, WNCT photo)
ECU sent out an alert shortly before 9 a.m. for the public to avoid Fifth Street and Elm Street due to police activity in the area. Before that, Greenville police arrived at East Fifth Street around 8:30 a.m. and responded to reports of a shooting.
During that time, Wahl-Coates Elementary School was placed on lockdown as a precaution. Officials said a school resource officer heard the shots and called police to report it.
Greenville Police Chief Ted Sauls said the victim, Andrew Readyoff, 27, was shot while walking in the 2200 block area of Fifth Street. The suspect rode by on a bicycle and opened fire multiple times on Readyoff. The victim had been shot several times and was talking to police before being taken to ECU Health Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.
Minutes after the shooting occurred, police tried to stop a man thought to be the suspect. Contributed video (see above) from Blake Scott shows that, as the officer approached, the suspect began shooting. The officer and at least one other who arrived at the scene fired back several times. The suspect was then taken into custody without injury to him or the officers.
Police on Wednesday evening identified the suspect as Savell Hightower, 38, of Greenville.
Hightower has been charged with multiple counts of Attempted Murder, Assault with a Deadly Weapon Intent to Kill Inflicting Serious Injury, Assault with a Deadly Weapon Intent to Kill on a LEO Officer, Possession of a Firearm by Felon and Possession of a Stolen Firearm. Additional charges could be forthcoming.
The NC State Bureau of Investigation, which has an office in Greenville, has been called in to assist in the investigation of the officer-involved second shooting.
“Key issues for me at this point are an unprovoked attack at 8:30 in the morning on the sidewalk. That is of concern to the community, for sure,” Sauls said. “The proximity to the school. I would like to point out, however, that our community did exactly what we were supposed to do. Our schools went on immediate lockdown, no one in our schools was injured, the incident, fortunately, had nothing to do with the schools. What it had to do with, I may never know.”
The part of Fifth Street between Elm Street and 10th Street remained closed for much of the day to collect evidence before reopening later in the afternoon. The lockdown at Wahl-Coates Elementary was lifted before noon.
Wednesday evening, ECU Chancellor Philip Rogers issued a statement thanking the Greenville Police Department and Greenville Fire/Rescue for their efforts. He also stressed campus safety.
