“His waist was covered with blood,” Porter said. “I turned my car around and I went to him and I got a blanket out of my trunk. He told me he was feeling dizzy and that he had been shot in the groin.”
Police said the man, 40-year-old David Back of Springfield, told them he’d come to the park around 8:30 p.m. to meet a person about buying a car. Back told officers that the man he met shot him in the groin and stole his wallet, fleeing in a maroon vehicle.
Lt. Noel Lopez said Back’s injuries were considered “serious” and he was taken to Springfield Regional Hospital. Police are still looking for the shooter.
Rita Snyder, a Springfield resident who uses the park almost daily to walk her dog, said she was surprised to hear about the attack and hopes people will be smart about when they use the park.
“I make sure I’m in an open place. Don’t go over the creek banks where you can’t be seen,” Snyder said.
Anyone with information about the shooting can call Springfield police at (937) 324-7716.
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