Suspect in 4 Georgia deaths is killed in shootout with police, 2 officers wounded, authorities say

HAMPTON, Ga. — Officers on Sunday shot and killed a person wished in 4 weekend killings close to Atlanta throughout an change of gunfire, with a sheriff’s deputy and a police officer wounded whereas attempting to take the suspect into custody, authorities stated.

Officers stated Andre Longmore was shot throughout an intense manhunt for the 40-year-old suspect. The change of gunfire got here a day after Saturday morning’s shootings rocked a bucolic subdivision in Hampton, south of Georgia’s fundamental metropolis.

Officers stated Longmore was killed about 15 miles (25 kilometers) to the north of Hampton in suburban Jonesboro. A Henry County sheriff’s deputy and a Clayton County police officer have been injured at separate areas through the try and arrest Longmore, they stated.

One officer was shot within the again and was taken by helicopter to an Atlanta trauma heart, Henry County Sheriff Reginald Scandrett stated. “He’s acutely aware, respiratory and speaking at the moment,” Scandrett stated of that officer.

Clayton County Police Chief Kevin Turner stated each officers are anticipated to get well.

Hampton Police Chief James Turner stated the 4 killed Saturday have been all residents of the identical Dogwood Lakes neighborhood the place Longmore lived, and have been all have been shot inside a 10-minute span. He recognized the victims as 67-year previous Scott Leavitt and his spouse, 66-year previous Shirley Leavitt, in addition to 65-year-old Steve Blizzard and 66-year-old Ronald Jeffers.

Sherry Wyatt, who works at Hampton’s recreation heart close to Jeffers’ residence, stated Jeffers would repeatedly are available in to sing on the senior heart that shares the constructing.

A couple of months in the past, Jeffers came visiting to her facet of the constructing to follow and he or she informed him how stunning was his voice.

“I’m simply so glad I informed him he sang like an angel,” stated Wyatt, including her coronary heart was heavy Sunday over his dying. “I do know he’s in heaven now singing.”

A relative of Blizzard did not instantly reply to a Fb message.

Authorities had been in search of to arrest Longmore on 4 homicide warrants for the deaths. Turner stated the motive remained below investigation.

On Sunday, neighbor Frankie Value informed The Related Press he heard a gunshot Saturday morning as he was reaching for his front room window to open the blinds and see how a lot yard work he needed to do.

Value stated he ducked “only for a second” after which seemed again out the window. “You understand, once you get incoming, you’ve received to know the place it’s coming from,” stated Value, who recognized himself as a Marine Corps veteran.

Longmore, who Value knew solely as Andre, was standing in the midst of the road. Value stated he noticed the person’s fingers jerking from the recoil of firing a silver handgun.

Value stated the person appeared to have fired at a small white automotive being pushed by one other neighbor, “an older white gentleman.” He stated the capturing occurred on the sting of a cul-de-sac the place all of them reside.

Value stated he first thought there’d been a street rage confrontation, however stated the person moved intentionally. “He didn’t seem indignant, upset, agitated,” Value stated.

Value stated Longmore appeared to judge whether or not he wanted to shoot once more after which “began strolling casually” towards the doorway to the subdivision, then at a “brisk stride.” Value stated he ran upstairs, watching Longmore disappear behind some timber as he known as police.

Value stated he heard no extra gunshots after that.

Police stated that after the capturing, Longmore fled in a black GMC Acadia SUV.

Turner informed reporters Saturday that detectives have been investigating at the least 4 crime scenes in Dogwood Lakes. No less than three police automobiles staked out the neighborhood Sunday, limiting entry. About 40 homes on two streets flank a lake within the neighborhood, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of downtown Atlanta.

Ron Foster, who lives on the primary street exterior the subdivision entrance, stated Longmore drove by his yard and his neighbor’s yard, destroying a number of decorative windmills and leaving tire tracks nonetheless seen within the grass a day later. Foster was inside his home on the time.

“What was going by that man’s thoughts after he did all he accomplished?” Foster questioned. “It was unreal.”

Foster did not know on the time that a number of folks had been shot, however stated he received a name from a buddy who’s a retired police officer.

“He known as me and stated ‘Ron, y’all keep in or go someplace,'” Foster stated “We did.”

Hampton is residence to the Atlanta Motor Speedway, Georgia’s racetrack for NASCAR occasions. The city of 8,500 folks additionally has benefited from Georgia’s film manufacturing increase.

The shootings marked the thirty first mass killing of 2023, taking the lives of at the least 153 folks this yr, in line with a database maintained by The AP and USA At this time in a partnership with Northeastern College.

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Related Press writers Tom Murphy contributed from Indianapolis and Leah Willingham contributed from Charleston, West Virginia.