Georgia Police Officer Killed, Colleague Seriously Wounded In Hotel Room Shooting

A police officer was killed and another seriously injured after a suspect opened fire on officers inside a hotel room in suburban Atlanta on Sunday, authorities said.

According to Associated Press, the officers had been questioning a man at a hotel near Stone Mountain, about 25 miles (40 kilometres) northeast of Atlanta, when the shooting occurred. Gwinnett County Police Chief J.D. McClure said the suspect invited the officers into his room before producing a handgun and firing at them.

“They began discussing the scenario or the incident with him,” McClure said. “And at some point the suspect produced a handgun and, in an unprovoked attack, fired at our Gwinnett County police officers.”

Officer Pradeep Tamang, 25, died from his injuries at a hospital, McClure said. Tamang, who joined the Gwinnett County Police Department last year, was a native of Nepal. Officer David Reed was taken to hospital and was listed in serious but stable condition on Sunday afternoon, AP reported.

The suspect was also shot by one of the officers during the exchange of gunfire and was undergoing medical treatment. He is expected to survive, McClure said.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said the officers were dispatched to the hotel after a caller from another state reported that their credit card had been fraudulently used at the location. According to Associated Press, a front desk clerk directed the officers to the room of the person who had used the card.

Gwinnett County authorities identified the suspect as 35-year-old Kevin Andrews of Decatur, Georgia. It was not immediately clear whether Andrews had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.

“This is the latest reminder of the dangers law enforcement face on a daily basis, and we are grateful for every one that puts themselves in harm’s way to protect their fellow Georgians,” Georgia Governor Brian Kemp said on the social media platform X.

The investigation has been handed over to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which routinely handles shootings involving law enforcement officers in the state. McClure said it would be up to the GBI and local prosecutors to determine what charges, if any, would be brought against Andrews, AP reported.