5 Dead Including Gunman In Georgia Shooting, 2 Injured [Updated]
Five people are dead, including the gunman and several children, in a shooting Saturday, 20 miles from Atlanta, Georgia. The victims of the Georgia shooting were found both inside and outside of the home when police arrived at the scene at around 3 p.m. ET.
The attack in Douglasville, Georgia, affected seven victims in total, including children. While no names are being released at this stage, a neighbor said that a husband and wife live in the home with five children.
Lt. Glenn Daniel of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department said it was a domestic situation where a man entered the home and shot his ex-wife and several children. He said the Georgia shooting was one of the worst crime scenes he had ever seen.
“I’ve been in law enforcement out here 20 years, and this is the worst I’ve ever seen.”
The Chicago Tribune quotes Daniels as being unsure when the couple divorced and it is unknown whether the family had prior contact with police.
Authorities continue to work to identify the victims of the Georgia shooting and to confirm their relationships. Daniels says they have not been able to release the names of the deceased as family members have not yet been notified.
Police: 7 people shot, 5 dead in shooting in Douglasville http://t.co/VW7jgGwga0 #KPRC2 #HouNews pic.twitter.com/C0XjcKvh5Q
— KPRC 2 Houston (@KPRCLocal2) February 7, 2015
Initially, the shooter was found among the injured and was moved to a local hospital where he later passed away. Several of the victims in the shooting also died en route to the hospital. Of the seven people involved, the two survivors are reportedly children.
According to Daniels, neighbors heard or saw the shooting as it was happening, called 911, and immediately went outside to assist the victims, especially those outside the house, until police and ambulance services arrived.
Neighbor Angela Ansah says she is having problems explaining to her own children what has happened, as they regularly played with the children involved in the shooting and they often came to her own home.
“These are children I see every day, every blessed day.”
According to another neighbor, 59-year-old Teresa Carter, she heard the gunfire from inside her home, although she didn’t see what was actually happening. Carter said she often saw the children playing around the neighborhood and that they liked to pet her dog.
“I heard shots, and I heard the girl scream and then I heard four more shots.”
10News reports that police have now obtained a warrant to enter the house and it is surrounded by crime scene tape. Daniels states that at present, a firm motive for the Georgia shooting is not yet clear.
“It’s still too early, we’re on the scene and maybe we’ll get some answers.”
Update:
According to Fox News, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office has now identified the shooter as Cedric G. Prather, 33. Of the victims, one was his former wife, Latoya A. Andrews along with Joseph Terry Brown, both 33 years of age.
One 7-year-old child died at the scene of the incident and a second 9-year-old died in hospital. The two other children involved in the shooting, aged eight and 15 years, are in a critical but stable condition. None of the children’s’ names have been released.
In other family killing news, the Inquisitr has reported the latest on the horrific axe murders in Stellenbosch, South Africa.
[Image: CC by-SA 4.0 Tony Webster]
