April 20, 2023
Levy County Deputies responded to the intersection of SE 201 Street and SR 40 East to a reported shooting incident shortly after 8:00 p.m. last night. Deputies arrived to discover a man had been shot in the leg with what appeared to be a shotgun blast. The victim, a 47 year old male, was transported to a nearby emergency center for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.
Multiple Deputies arrived to assist in locating the shooting suspect. The victim and witness told deputies two shots came from a nearby property they were passing. Upon hearing the first shot the driver of the vehicle stopped. The victim stepped from the vehicle as the driver was yelling at the shooter. This is when the second shot was fired, striking the victim in the leg. The victim and driver fled the area to safety and contacted law enforcement.
Deputies responded to the location where the shooter was last seen. Deputies did not locate the shooter at the home and found evidence this person was still nearby. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit, “Air 1”, responded to assist. Shortly after midnight Air 1 located a person hiding in the woods on the property. Levy County Deputies apprehended this person and took him into custody.
Deputies identified the shooter as David Andrew Ruttinger (2/23/60) of Inglis. Ruttinger told deputies he fired at the vehicle because it was driving in a reckless manner. He said reckless drivers are a constant issue near his home and he was attempting to shoot the tire. He panicked when he saw law enforcement responding and hid in the woods.
Ruttinger was arrested and taken to the Levy County Detention Center. He has been charged with multiple crimes to include aggravated battery with a firearm and aggravated assault with a firearm. He is being held on a $307,000.00 bond.
Sheriff McCallum expressed his appreciation for the assistance provided by Sheriff Billy Woods and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office personnel. He also encouraged citizens to exercise their Second Amendment rights for only legitimate self-defense situations.