Clayton County Shooting: Officer and 2 Women Killed in Georgia

U.S.|Police Officer and 2 Women Are Killed successful Atlanta-Area Shooting

A constabulary serviceman and 2 women were changeable and killed connected Tuesday nighttime during a home unit occurrence successful the metropolitan Atlanta area, the constabulary said.

A 12-year-old boy, who was changeable successful the face, was successful captious but unchangeable condition, the constabulary said. Another serviceman was besides injured.

The shootings occurred successful Clayton County, astir 15 miles southbound of Central Atlanta. The constabulary said successful posts connected societal media that they archetypal received “multiple” calls opening astir 8:40 p.m. One call, according to the posts, said determination was a drive-by shooting successful the area. A 2nd said a pistillate was lying motionless successful the beforehand gait of a house. A 3rd said a kid had been changeable astatine different location.

Officers who responded to the sites came nether gunfire from an “unknown location” portion trying to assistance the lad and 1 of the women, the authorities said. They besides recovered the different pistillate dormant wrong a house, a constabulary spokeswoman said by telephone connected Wednesday.

The authorities identified the dormant serviceman arsenic Henry Laxson, a tract trainee with the section police. Another officer, Alex Chandler, was changeable successful the hand.

The constabulary did not merchandise further details, saying, “The probe is ongoing.” They declined to merchandise the names of the different victims until their families had been notified.

Chief Kevin Roberts of the Clayton County Police Department said astatine an overnight quality conference that the boy, though injured, helped officers find the location wherever the fishy was recovered equipped with a handgun. The fishy past fled to the backmost of the house, wherever helium was met by tactical units. The constabulary said successful a statement that the fishy was changeable and killed aft exchanging gunfire with officers.

The concern was “emotional,” Chief Roberts said. “These men and women bash an honorable occupation each day. It’s unfortunate that we person to marque these reports clip and clip again.”

“My bosom aches for each constabulary serviceman and their household that goes done these benignant of things,” Chief Roberts added. “These things conscionable shouldn’t happen.”

The shooting followed 1 successful March successful the Atlanta area, erstwhile a antheral opened occurrence successful 3 country massage businesses, sidesplitting eight people. The fishy was arrested astir 150 miles southbound of Atlanta and aboriginal charged with 8 counts of execution and 1 number of aggravated assault.

More than 10 cardinal adults acquisition home unit annually successful the United States, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. One successful 4 women and 1 and 10 men acquisition intersexual violence, carnal unit and oregon stalking by an intimate spouse during their lifetime, it says.

Georgia was ranked 10th successful the federation for its complaint of men sidesplitting women, according to a 2019 report from the Violence Policy Center. Domestic violence-related deaths successful the authorities totaled 166 successful 2019, up 18 from the erstwhile year, the Georgia Commission connected Family Violence reported.