A shooting near Foley and an armed abduction in Gulf Shores triggered a cross-state law enforcement pursuit that ended when officers used tire-deflation devices to stop a stolen minivan on a Mississippi highway, according to Baldwin County authorities.
The chain of events began Sunday when Baldwin County Sheriff’s deputies were notified that a man had been shot and was receiving treatment at a local hospital. Investigators determined the shooting occurred at Kelly’s Clay Pit near Grantham Road in the Foley area. Authorities say a suspect, later identified as Charles Andrew Goss-Richards, fired multiple shots at the victim and a second person who was with him, striking the victim once in the stomach.
After the shooting, Goss-Richards and a female companion, identified as Elizabeth Janae Andrews, allegedly stole the victim’s vehicle and fled the scene. The shooting was not the only crime the pair is accused of that day. Authorities say the two are suspected of abducting a woman at gunpoint in Gulf Shores earlier the same day and stealing her black minivan.
Law enforcement agencies across the region were alerted to watch for the stolen vehicle. It was eventually spotted on Interstate 10 near the Daphne exit, prompting a pursuit that continued through Mobile and across the state line into Mississippi. The chase ended on Highway 605 South, where officers used stop sticks to disable the minivan’s tires.
Goss-Richards and Andrews were taken into custody by multiple law enforcement agencies involved in the pursuit. Both face charges stemming from the chase itself, filed by Mississippi Highway Patrol, in addition to a hold placed by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office on first-degree robbery charges. Authorities said additional charges are expected as the investigation continues.
The shooting victim was transported to USA Medical Center in Mobile, where he underwent emergency surgery. Authorities said he was listed in stable condition following the procedure. Gulf Shores police spokesman Sgt. Jason Woodruff confirmed that the woman who was abducted in Gulf Shores was not physically injured during the ordeal.
The rapid sequence of events — a shooting, an abduction, a carjacking and a multi-agency pursuit spanning three states’ worth of jurisdiction in a matter of hours — underscored the level of coordination required among Baldwin County, Mobile-area and Mississippi law enforcement to bring the incident to a close without further injury.