Cherokee County Sheriff's Department investigating mysterious sh - WFXG FOX54 Augusta - Your News One Hour Earlier

KLTV 7 has been gathering information for the last several hours concerning a shooting that occurred somewhere in Cherokee County.

The Cherokee County Sheriff's Department confirms that 22-year-old Garrett Curtis of Alto was shot. It is still unclear where the shooting happened.

Curtis was attending a new employee orientation program at the Rusk State Hospital in Rusk. He left, saying he was going to get lunch. The Cherokee County sheriff says he later drove himself back to the hospital with a gunshot wound in the upper body. An employee from the hospital found him in the parking lot and called the sheriff's department.

The Rusk Police Department initially responded to the scene and found the victim, who was only able to give limited information before EMS arrived.

Curtis was flown to ETMC in Tyler by helicopter. An investigator is waiting at the hospital to speak to the victim as soon as he is able.

It is believed that the shooting did not occur on the grounds of the Rusk State Hospital.

The Texas Department of State Health Services released the following statement on the incident:

"We are deeply concerned about our employee following today's shooting. Our thoughts are with Garrett and his family. We're working with law enforcement and doing everything we can to help each other during this sad and uncertain time."

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