Sonic employees in shooting ends with one hospitalized, one in jail

A 19-year-old man is in jail accused of shooting a co-worker outside a north Lawton Sonic restaurant Wednesday morning.

Lamar Jamal Howard Miller, of Lawton, made his initial appearance Friday in Comanche County District Court where he was charged with a felony count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and misdemeanor charges of obstructing police and failure to carry insurance, records indicate. The assault charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Lawton police were called around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday to the Sonic, 1609 N. Sheridan, regarding a shooting and found a man being treated for a gunshot wound on the ground near the trash bins.

An employee said she’d seen a gray Jeep parked by the trash bin for a while when an employee went to take out the trash. That’s when, she said, she heard a gunshot and the man calling out for help, the probable cause affidavit states. 

Miller was seen passing by the restaurant while police were speaking to witnesses, according to police. He was stopped at Northwest Erwin Lane and Cache Road. During the stop, police learned Miller didn’t have a valid driver’s license and no insurance, the affidavit states. He was arrested for obstructing police after he presented an identification card with another name.

Investigators viewed the Sonic security video of the incident and saw the injured man talking to the person in the Jeep before collapsing to the ground and the Jeep driving off, according to the affidavit. A single, spent shell casing was found in the rear seats of the Jeep.

During transport to the police department, Miller asked the condition of the wounded man, according to police. A gunshot residue test was conducted on Miller and the test kit sent to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation lab for further analysis, the affidavit states.

Held on $75,000 bond, Miller returns to court at 3 p.m. Sept. 5 for his preliminary hearing conference.