A 20-year-old Sallisaw man is fighting for his life after being shot in the head and left along a rural road just outside the city late Saturday night, September 20.

The victim, identified by family as Josh Mefford, was reportedly found on South 4580 Road after a passerby who lives in the area spotted a vehicle speeding away, and then discovered Mefford lying on the roadside.

Sequoyah County Sheriff Larry Lane said the driver immediately called 911.

Mefford was flown to an Arkansas hospital, where he remains in critical condition.

Deputies later detained Robert Wayne Skelton, 21, of Sallisaw, who is being held as a person of interest in the case. Court records show Skelton was formally booked into the Sequoyah County Jail at 4:11 a.m. Sunday charged with aggravated assault and battery with a deadly weapon. Sheriff Lane said the investigation remains ongoing and believes others may have been involved and that additional arrests could be possible. As of press time Tuesday afternoon, Lane said he was conducting more interviews.

Lane said detectives are also processing a gray Jaguar SUV that was reportedly seen leaving the scene. Authorities are also searching for the handgun used in the shooting.

“If that passerby hadn’t driven by when they did, there’s no telling how long the victim would have been out there before someone found him,” he said.

Community members have established a donation account at First National Bank of Sallisaw to help support Mefford and his mother as he continues to receive medical care.

Anyone with information about the shooting or who may have seen the gray SUV Saturday night is urged to contact the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office.