Creek Co Contractors Expected To Recover After Being Shot

Two contractors were shot on Thursday while working on a street project in Mounds and are expected to make a full recovery.

Related Story: Man Arrested After Mounds Police Say He Shot Construction Crew With Rifle

Creek County Commissioner, Newt Stephens, said the two were doing pavement work east of Mounds when the shooting happened.

"Thank God everyone is safe and He kept His hands on him and protected them, because when shots start going off, inches mean lives," Stephens said.

Stephens said he got a call around 6:40 p.m. on Thursday and when he arrived to the scene, he learned one of the contractors was hit in the lower back and another was shot in the arm.

"They were actually at the start of the project, waiting on the oil to go down before they started to put the rock and stuff," Stephens said. "One of the construction vehicles, it had been shot three times."

According to Mounds Police Chief Antonio Porter, the man responsible for the shooting, Bryan Sturman, has been arrested. Porter said Sturman started hearing things and said Sturman opened his door and fired eight rounds from his AR-15 rifle.

"Apparently, he was having some mental issues and alcohol was involved as well," Porter said.

In his nine years as a commissioner, Stephens said he's never seen anything like this. He's glad the workers will be okay.

"To not have to have surgeries was pretty amazing, just some stitches," Stephens said. "So, that was a true blessing to be able to go through that."

Sturman is in the Creek County jail on complaints of shooting with intent to kill.