Search continues for suspect in Cape Girardeau shooting

The Cape Girardeau Police Department continued to search Thursday for an Illinois man who allegedly shot a man in the arm.

Brannon Mackins, 19, of Mounds, Ill., was charged Tuesday with two felonies, first-degree assault and armed criminal action.

According to police reports, Mackins shot John Lee Tate, 26, of Cape Girardeau, in the left arm after an altercation at 2833 Themis St. where Tate works.

Tate was doing yard maintenance on the apartment building there when Mackins approached him and began arguing with him. The two had another altercation the day before, according to a sworn statement made by patrolman Amy Walker. Tate told Mackins to leave, at which point Tate began to fire at him with a .38-caliber revolver, Walker wrote. Tate drove himself to the hospital, where Walker made contact with him, according to the sworn statement.

Mackins fled the scene on foot, later entering a vehicle driven by Alfonso Ellis. Ellis was arrested in the 2900 block of Independence Street in possession of the revolver, which he told police Mackins had given him, according to police reports.

Ellis told police that Mackins told him he had shot Tate, according to the statement.

Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle said Ellis is being held in the Cape Girardeau County Jail on a probation violation. Swingle said he was waiting for full police reports on the incident before deciding to file charges against Ellis.

Mackins has prior felony convictions of aggravated battery and robbery, according to the sworn statement. His bond is set at $250,000.

Anyone with information about Mackins' whereabouts can call local law enforcement or CrimeStoppers at 332-0500.

pwylie@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127