According to a public information release from Sgt. Eric Smith of the Cobb County Police Department, a homicide took place on Linworth Boulevard in the Austell area just after midnight on Sunday morning, November 3.

Investigators report that officers responded to a report of a shooting.

Upon arrival, they discovered two adult males with gunshot wounds, both of whom were taken to nearby hospitals for emergency treatment.

[The Cobb County Courier has a policy of withholding or redacting the name of suspects unless and until the person is convicted in a court of law or enters a plea of guilty. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty, and the internet has no effective way of removing reports of arrest if the person is exonerated. We do make exceptions in high-profile cases or charges against public officials where exoneration is likely to be as widely publicized as the initial arrest]

One of the individuals, a 54-year-old LaGrange man, later died. The second victim, a 44-year-old LaGrange man, was reported to be in stable condition.

A suspect, a 42-year-old Austell man, was taken into custody at the scene without further incident. Detectives from the Major Crimes Unit were called in to lead the investigation, which resulted in the suspect being charged with multiple offenses, including Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault, and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony.

Authorities have notified the next of kin, and the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with additional information related to this case is encouraged to contact the Major Crimes Unit at (770) 499-3945.

About the Major Crimes Unit

The Crimes Against Persons Division of the Cobb County Police Department is part of the Major Crimes Unit, and is broken down into several specialized units, to investigate homicides, robberies, technology-based crime, domestic violence and stalking, and crimes against children. It has a unit that does crime analysis to identify evidence to help link cases and identify suspects.

The division also houses the Crime Scene Unit which according to the division’s website “is responsible for documenting and processing crime scenes to locate evidence, identify suspects, and to present evidence in criminal proceedings. Crime scene technicians are responsible for processing evidence utilizing a variety of procedures for fingerprint, DNA, and trace evidence.”

The commander of the Major Crimes Unit is Capt. Matt Brown, and the Crimes Against Persons Unit is commanded by Lt. Tim Nelson.