One man dead after late Friday night shooting in Elmore County

Aaron May/Courtesy: Elmore County Jail

According to Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin, the shooting happened in the Slapout community late Friday night, leaving one person dead and another charged with murder.

Sheriff Franklin said the incident occurred at a Marathon gas station, also known as “The Girl’s Store” among the Slapout community, on Highway 111. 42-year-old Joel Whitus, of Millbrook, was sitting in a car with two friends in the parking lot, parked next to 23-year-old Aaron Mays and his girlfriend.

Sherriff Franklin said that Mays claimed that Whitus hit their car with his hand when he was walking into the store. When Whitus came back out, Mays confronted him, asking, “Why’d you hit my vehicle?”

Whitus explained he didn’t know what Mays was talking about. At that point, Mays noticed a handgun in Whitus’ waistband, according to Sheriff Franklin.

Mays shot and killed Whitus. Mays and his girlfriend left the scene, but returned a short time later, Sheriff Franklin told Action 8 News.

Authorities immediately arrested Mays. He is being charged with murder and is currently being held in the Elmore County Jail.

At the request of the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office, Whitus’ body is being sent to the Department of Forensic Sciences, in Montgomery, for an autopsy.

Mays is scheduled to appear in court sometime next week.