Foley Shooting Under Investigation After Wounded Man Drives Himself to Hospital

FOLEY, Ala. — A 35-year-old man who suffered multiple gunshot wounds early Sunday drove himself to a Foley hospital, setting off a Foley shooting investigation that led Baldwin County deputies to the back parking lot of a bar along Highway 98. The man is now in stable condition and is expected to make a full recovery, but investigators say they still do not know who pulled the trigger.

The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were called to Baldwin Health Hospital at approximately 3 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026, after the wounded man arrived on his own. Shortly after deputies made contact with him, he was airlifted to Sacred Heart Hospital in Florida for further treatment and evaluation of his injuries.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, the man was unable to tell investigators who shot him. The only detail he could provide was that the shooting had happened somewhere in Foley. That limited information left deputies with the task of retracing his steps across the city in the early morning hours.

Search of Local Bars Leads to Scene on Highway 98

Officers with the Foley Police Department joined Sheriff’s Office deputies in canvassing local bars in an effort to determine where the shooting took place. That search led them to what investigators described as a small scene in the rear parking lot of Good Time Charley’s, a bar located off Highway 98 in Foley.

Investigators and crime scene personnel from the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office responded to the location and processed the scene. While there, they spoke with members of the staff as well as a few patrons who were still at the business.

The Sheriff’s Office said part of what happened was captured on surveillance video. However, investigators said the footage was not clear enough to positively identify any suspects. No arrests have been announced, and no one has been publicly identified as a suspect or person of interest.

The Sheriff’s Office has not released the name of the man who was shot, and it has not said what may have led up to the gunfire, how many shots were fired, or whether more than one person was involved. Authorities also have not said whether the victim knew the person who shot him.

Victim Expected to Make Full Recovery

Despite the seriousness of his injuries and the decision to fly him to another hospital, the Sheriff’s Office reported that the man is in stable condition and is expected to recover fully.

Baldwin Health, the hospital where he first sought help, is the former South Baldwin Regional Medical Center in Foley. The hospital took on its new name in October 2024, when it unveiled a five-story expansion that added inpatient beds, new surgical facilities and expanded intensive care capacity. It is one of the main hospitals serving residents and visitors in the southern half of Baldwin County.

Patients who need a higher level of trauma care are sometimes transferred by air ambulance to larger regional centers. Sacred Heart Hospital, part of the Ascension health system, is located in nearby Pensacola, Florida, a short flight across the state line from Foley. The Sheriff’s Office did not specify the nature of the man’s wounds or the reason for the transfer beyond further treatment and evaluation.

Sheriff’s Office Asks Public for Help

Because the victim could not identify his attacker and the video evidence was not clear enough to name a suspect, investigators are turning to the public. The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone who knows what happened, or who may have been involved, to come forward with that information.

Investigators are likely interested in hearing from people who were at or near the bar in the early morning hours of Oct. 18, including anyone who may have seen an argument, heard gunshots, noticed someone leaving the area in a hurry, or recorded video on a phone or a vehicle dash camera. Even small details can help investigators build a timeline in cases where the victim’s own memory of events is limited.

People with information can reach the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office through its main line:

• Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office: 251-937-0202
• For emergencies or crimes in progress: 911

The Sheriff’s Office also publicly thanked the Foley Police Department for its help with the initial handling of the case. Joint efforts like this are common in Baldwin County, where city police departments and the Sheriff’s Office frequently assist one another on calls that cross jurisdictional lines or require additional personnel.

How the Investigation Moves Forward

The Sheriff’s Office has described the case as an ongoing investigation, and no further details have been released. In shooting cases where a suspect is not immediately known, investigators typically work through several steps: reviewing any available surveillance footage in more detail, collecting physical evidence from the scene, interviewing witnesses, and following up on tips from the public.

Evidence gathered at the scene may be sent for forensic analysis. In Alabama, much of that work is handled by the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, the state agency that supports law enforcement with laboratory testing. Results from that type of analysis can take time, which is one reason investigators often rely on witnesses and community tips during the early stages of a case.

If investigators identify a suspect, the Sheriff’s Office would typically seek a warrant and announce any charges once an arrest is made. Anyone who is charged in connection with a shooting would be presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

The Sheriff’s Office Role in Foley-Area Cases

The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office is the county’s chief law enforcement agency, led by Sheriff Anthony Lowery. Its deputies patrol the unincorporated areas of Alabama’s largest county by land area and provide investigative support across the county, including crime scene processing. Foley, meanwhile, has its own municipal police department responsible for patrolling inside the city limits.

The Sheriff’s Office has not said why it, rather than the Foley Police Department, is leading the investigation. Because the victim initially could say only that he had been shot somewhere in Foley, the exact location was not known when deputies first responded to the hospital, and the two agencies worked together to narrow it down.

Highway 98, where the bar is located, is one of the main east-west corridors through Foley and south Baldwin County. The highway carries a mix of local traffic and visitors heading to and from the Gulf Coast beaches, and it is lined with restaurants, shops, bars and other businesses that stay busy late into the night.

Help for Victims of Violent Crime

People who are injured in violent crimes in Alabama may be eligible for assistance from the Alabama Crime Victims’ Compensation Commission, a state agency that can help eligible victims with costs such as medical bills, counseling and lost wages that are not covered by other sources. Victim service officers and advocates connected to local law enforcement and prosecutors’ offices can also explain how the criminal justice process works and help victims stay informed about the status of a case.

Investigators generally encourage anyone who has been the victim of a crime to report it promptly and to preserve any evidence, such as clothing, photos or messages, that could help detectives piece together what happened.

What Remains Unknown

Several key questions remain unanswered as the investigation continues:

• Who fired the shots, and whether more than one person was involved.
• What led up to the shooting in the parking lot behind the bar.
• Whether the victim and the shooter knew each other.
• Whether any additional video or witness accounts can help identify a suspect.

The Sheriff’s Office has not provided a timeline for releasing more information. South Alabama News will update this story as new details become available from investigators.

Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to contact the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office at 251-937-0202. In an emergency, always call 911.