Newton man barely escapes death at O'Dells
Exxon at Amma, after being shot in neck
Geary district community rallies for Donnie Nichols
A Newton, Roane County man, barely escaped death Monday after he was shot in the neck by Shayne Riggleman, 22, a man who had previously murdered five people in Morgantown.
Donnie Nichols, 56, an employee of O'Dells Exxon attempted to stop Riggleman from trying to take his car. Riggleman quickly pointed a rifle at him and fired.
Employees of O'Dells Exxon said despite the close call, the emergency surgery pulled him through. He was expected to be released from CAMC Friday.
Riggleman (left) fled the Morgantown murder scene and got off I-79 at Amma.
Not only did he shoot Nichols, on a rural road a few miles from the gas station he pulled his vehicle across the center lane and stopped a car occupied by an older couple, asking them the location of a gas station. He did not threaten them with a gun, turned around and headed toward the gas station, according to Spencer Newspapers.
Riggleman then stopped a second vehicle driven by Amber Williams, carrying her husband and three-year-old son. After stopping the William's vehicle, he went to his car to get a map, but instead got a rifle.
Williams told authorities that she pleaded with Riggleman not to shoot her family, to take her car. When he learned the car was a standard transmission, Williams said Riggleman exclaimed, "I'm screwed," indicating he could not drive a standard.
That's when Riggleman went to O'Dell's Exxon and shot Nichols, taking his Jeep, and fleeing to Kentucky.
While a sheriff's deputy was in pursuit of Riggleman, he shot and killed himself.
Riggleman's mother described him as a bi-polar schizophrenic.
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