MauryTHINKS

An early-morning shooting at a Columbia apartment complex Saturday heightened fears of continued violence as law enforcement showed its presence in Maury County this weekend.

Columbia police said a man was wounded at Parkview Manor Apartments early Saturday morning, but additional details were not available.

Maury County citizens are on edge in the wake of a double homicide and the burial of the victims Friday. Balloons popping at a birthday party prompted scanner traffic of shots being fired Saturday afternoon, and one man hurt his hand when he ran away from what he thought were gunshots at Zaxby’s Restaurant later that evening.

Sheriff Enoch George said more than a dozen agencies have been summoned to Maury County in response to threats made in connection with the funerals of Juan Castro, 16, and Patricia Garcia, 24, who were shot and killed about 1 a.m. April 13.

“We’re acting on some information we believe is valid,” George said. “We’re taking every precaution to keep everybody safe.”

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation command post was stationed at Columbia Central High School Friday, and helicopters from the Tennessee Highway Patrol landed at Spring Hill High School.

“There have been some threats made and the TBI has received information from local law enforcement of a possibly serious situation in Maury County,” said TBI spokeswoman Kristin Helm.

The funeral for Garcia was scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday at St. Philip Catholic Church in Franklin and the service for Castro happened at 2 p.m. at the same church.

Four people, Javoris DeRay Sparkman, Robert Anthony Guerrero, 20, Erik Guerrero, 19, and Charles Everit Lowe Kelley, 16, have been arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Sparkman surrendered at the Maury County Jail Thursday morning.

George said the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, U.S. Marshals, Williamson County Sheriff’s Department, Franklin Police Department, Columbia Police Department, District Attorneys’ office, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Spring Hill Police Department and U.S. Department of Homeland Security were among the agencies patrolling Maury County.

The Maury County Board of Education is also working with law enforcement to prevent future violence, he said.