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Henry County: two people were found dead at a house on Limbaugh Valley Drive on Wednesday and officers at the scene confirmed the deaths; the Henry County Police Department separately reported a shooting late that morning in the South River Manor subdivision in unincorporated McDonough and said there is no active threat, and as of 2:30 p.m. nobody had been identified, no cause of death released and no arrest announced  ◆  Monroe County: a teacher was hit by a student driver in the junior parking lot at Mary Persons High School in Forsyth at 2:57 p.m. Tuesday during afternoon dismissal; deputies said the teacher was alert and conscious with leg pain and was taken to a hospital in the area, the school system called the injuries not life threatening, and no citation has been announced  ◆  Lowndes County: a 10-year-old boy was shot in the face at Brittany Woods Apartments on Old Statenville Road in Valdosta around 5 p.m. Monday; police said a 9-year-old shot him, the wounded boy was moved to a Florida hospital in stable but critical condition and no charges have been announced  ◆  DeKalb County: three people aboard a MARTA bus reported injuries after an accident near North Shallowford Road and Peachford Road in Dunwoody late Monday morning; the front of the bus was badly damaged and no agency has established a cause  ◆  DeKalb County: Anthony Angeles, 19, died after a Georgia State Patrol patrol car and a GMC pickup collided about 2:30 a.m. Monday at Mountain Industrial Boulevard and Hugh Howell Road; troopers were responding to illegal stunt driving, the pickup’s driver was hospitalized and the trooper is on administrative leave  ◆  Fulton County: a fire at the Providence Green recycling center on Mallory Road in South Fulton sent heavy black smoke and metal debris across the area Sunday; it was under control around midnight, hazmat crews found no toxic hazard, no one was hurt and the cause has not been determined  ◆  DeKalb County: Police asked the public Sunday for help finding Janiah, 14, and Iveon, 12, last seen around noon Saturday leaving the 2200 block of Chestnut Hill Circle in Decatur, each riding a bicycle; police released first names only and ask anyone with information to call 770-724-7710  ◆  Fulton County: The FAA ordered a ground stop at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport at 6 p.m. Saturday and extended it twice as severe thunderstorms crossed metro Atlanta; the National Weather Service confirmed wind damage in Fulton and Gordon counties.  ◆  Burke County: a sheriff’s deputy tried to stop a speeding vehicle on Bates Road on Saturday afternoon; the driver did not stop and the vehicle overturned in the 300 block near Clark’s Place Road. Deputies took the driver into custody on six items including felony fleeing and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute; no name has been released  ◆  Gwinnett County: A person was struck and killed by a Norfolk Southern train on Bankers Industrial Drive just off Buford Highway shortly before 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4; police say the victim died at the scene and has not been identified, the site is not near a designated crossing and the train operator was not hurt  ◆  Augusta: Donte Godwin, 35, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer after deputies were fired on in the 100 block of Tybee Court on Sept. 3; the Richmond County Sheriff's Office announced the arrest the following evening and no deputies were hurt  ◆  Chatham County: Police asked the public Friday for help finding Mariah Jackson, 15, last seen about 3 p.m. Thursday getting off a school bus in the Wax Myrtle Court area, wearing khaki pants and a white shirt; investigators have categorized her as a missing runaway and asked anyone who sees her to call 911  ◆  Paulding County: A single-engine plane crashed in woods off Hulseytown Road near Paulding Northwest Atlanta Airport at 8:06 p.m. Thursday, critically injuring an 18-year-old student pilot and his 22-year-old flight instructor, who called 911 themselves from the wreckage; the FAA and NTSB were notified and no cause has been released  ◆  Barrow County: Erica Gibson, 21, of Atlanta has been found safe in the Atlanta area and is no longer considered missing, the City of Winder said Sept. 4, after a two-day search that closed Fort Yargo State Park in Winder and put dive teams on the lake  ◆  Liberty County: Hinesville issued a boil water advisory Sept. 3 covering all of Baconfield Subdivision, Liberty County High School, the Performing Arts Center and four nearby streets, tied to repair of a water main break on Highway 84; the city said it will announce when the advisory is lifted  ◆  Gwinnett County: one person was killed in a motorcycle accident on I-85 southbound at Indian Trail Lilburn Road; Gwinnett County police confirmed the death, and all southbound lanes reopened at about 4:15 p.m. ET  ◆  Meriwether County: Warm Springs Officer Chris Fisher, 36, shot and killed outside a Spring Street motel; Jimmie Steverson, 23, found dead in Anderson County, South Carolina  ◆  Atlanta: Atlanta police recruit Moses Russ, 24, was killed riding his motorcycle to academy training in an accident at Moreland Avenue and McDonough Boulevard in southeast Atlanta shortly after 7 a.m. Tuesday; the road reopened after several hours, the other driver was not hurt and no one has been charged  ◆  DeKalb County: police are asking for help identifying a boy believed to be about 8 and described as non-verbal, found alone in the 1400 block of Bouldercrest Road on Monday afternoon; anyone who recognizes him or knows his guardians is asked to call 911 or 770-724-7710  ◆  Upatoi: Beunkus Shanequa Collins, 33, was killed by a vehicle in the 13300 block of Macon Road in Columbus early Monday. The coroner ruled it accidental; Columbus police said no charges are pending.  ◆  Sandy Springs: GDOT closed GA 400 southbound Exit 5 on Aug. 29 and replaced it with two temporary ramps — Exit 5-B to the North Springs MARTA station and Exit 5-A to Abernathy Road and Hammond Drive. GDOT said they could stay up to two years.  ◆  DeKalb County: police issued a Mattie’s Call Sunday evening for Andrew Dansby, 61, last seen before 1 p.m. leaving the 1000 block of Village Road in Stone Mountain; he is 5 feet 7 inches and about 179 pounds, last seen in a light blue polo over a purple shirt, blue jeans and an Army hat with a white rose, and anyone who sees him is asked to call 770-724-7710  ◆  Chatham County: a flood advisory covered Tybee Island Sunday morning after an observer two miles north of the island logged 5.11 inches of rain in three hours; residents at Lighthouse Point and North Beach reported heavy flooding and stalled cars, and the advisory was cancelled at 11:12 a.m. with road closures noted as remaining  ◆  Liberty County: the GBI identified the man wounded by a Hinesville officer outside Frozen Paradise Bar & Grill as Cashane Cadeem Calder, 31, a Fort Stewart soldier; he is in stable but critical condition and has not been charged.  ◆  Coweta County: five people in custody and a gun found on the ground after a fight at the Newnan High vs. East Coweta High football game  ◆  Conyers: Rockdale County High vs. Heritage High football game canceled after the teams fought during pre-game warmups  ◆  Metro Atlanta: DPH confirms four more measles cases in a daycare outbreak, taking Georgia's 2026 total to 11  ◆  Savannah: Two men are dead after a shooting and SWAT standoff on East Anderson Street near East Broad Street; Chief Lenny Gunther said police are investigating a suspected murder-suicide  ◆  Macon: Willie H. Smith Jr., 78, was killed when a Chevrolet Equinox left Waverland Drive and struck a roof in the 1900 block of Woodland Drive shortly before 10 a.m. Thursday; no one else was hurt  ◆  Albany: Jamar Phillips, 17, was killed and a second man hospitalized in a shooting in the 200 block of East Oglethorpe Boulevard around 2:45 a.m. Thursday; Albany police say a vehicle officers pursued was not involved  ◆  Atlanta: A gas leak closed Memorial Drive near Wilbur Avenue in Reynoldstown Thursday morning; Atlanta Fire Rescue asked the public to avoid the area while crews worked to repair it  ◆  Crisp County: A driver was hospitalized after a northbound vehicle struck a Georgia DOT truck on I-75 at mile marker 104; the sheriff's office is investigating  ◆  Paulding County: Chloe Day, 9, reported missing Wednesday night near Old Cartersville Road, was found safe Thursday morning; the circumstances behind her recovery are unknown, Atlanta News First reported.  ◆  Atlanta: A pedestrian was struck and killed on I-75/85 northbound at the North Avenue exit just before 5 a.m. Thursday; all northbound lanes of the Downtown Connector reopened at 8:38 a.m.  ◆  Sylvania: a Screven County High School student was taken into custody Wednesday after an alleged social media threat; dispatchers alerted police about 3:18 p.m. and authorities said no active threat remained  ◆  Augusta: two students at Monte Sano Elementary School were heard talking about a weapon during a class transition Wednesday; Principal Jasmine Scott wrote to families the same day  ◆  Twiggs County: a 6-year-old spotted a house fire on Sgoda Road and alerted his mother, who uses a wheelchair; all three people inside got out uninjured.  ◆  Floyd County: Drake Ladon Keef, 32, is charged with hit and run in the accident that killed pedestrian Stevie Marie Thompson, 35, near Chulio Road; he is charged, not convicted.  ◆  DeKalb County: one person was hospitalized with serious injuries after a shooting at a home on Hidden Creek Drive; police were called at about 9:45 a.m. and have not announced an arrest.  ◆  Richmond County: Marcellus Ponder, 35, of Augusta was killed at 1:39 a.m. in a single-vehicle accident on the I-20 westbound Exit 196 ramp to I-520; he was pronounced dead at 2:46 a.m. and the westbound lanes reopened around 5:15 a.m.  ◆  Worth County: two people were killed where State Route 32 meets State Route 300, and GDOT says it will put a temporary R-CUT at the junction this year ahead of a roundabout  ◆  Fulton County: fire gutted the vacant Dairy Queen at North Avenue and Parkway Drive in Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward; no injuries, cause under investigation  ◆  Fulton County: a second man is charged in the July 2025 Sweet Auburn mass shooting on Edgewood Avenue in Atlanta — FBI Atlanta says its Violent Crime Task Force arrested Nasir Williams on a murder count and ten counts of aggravated assault; Santos J. Wyatt, 27, was killed and ten people wounded, and a third person is still being sought. Charged, not convicted.  ◆  Taylor County: two former Reynolds police officers are charged over an Aug. 22 domestic dispute on Armory Street — Landon E. Aldridge, 23, with hindering a 911 call and Christopher K. Boyt, 36, with violation of oath of office; both had already left the department and both investigations remain active  ◆  Richmond County Hephzibah Middle School was briefly evacuated Tuesday after a threatening call to the front office; students and staff were moved to Hephzibah Comprehensive High School, officers swept the building and an all-clear followed. No one was hurt, and no one has been identified, detained or charged.  ◆  Liberty County An accident closed Highway 144 both ways between I-95 and Sunbury Road near Fort Stewart from 1:10 p.m.; GDOT's record no longer listed the closure at 6:05 p.m. and no agency has announced a reopening  ◆  Dougherty County Terrance Davis, 28, is in custody in Texas awaiting extradition over the Feb. 2 East Broad Avenue accident in Albany that killed Dyllin Fallin, 31; the district attorney confirmed the arrest Tuesday  ◆  DeKalb County Chamblee Dunwoody Road has reopened both ways between Redfield Drive and Oakpointe Place in Dunwoody after crews repaired a gas leak; police said so around 2:40 p.m. Tuesday  ◆  Barrow County A dump truck hit a utility pole and went into the Super H gas station at 752 Christmas Avenue in Bethlehem on Tuesday morning; a store clerk was taken to a hospital with minor injuries, the driver had minor scratches, and investigators pointed to an apparent mechanical failure  ◆  Grady County Cairo High School says the lockdown notifications sent to families and the community on Tuesday were a false alarm and that there is no threat to the school; it has not said what caused them  ◆  South Fulton The South Fulton Police Department is asking for help finding Gibril Kanu, 37, who investigators say is autistic and has bipolar disorder, last seen Monday morning at River Oak Terrace; anyone with information is asked to call 470-809-7300  ◆  Effingham County The Effingham County Sheriff's Office is asking for help finding Gabriale Foskey, 17, last seen at her home on Sir Stephen Court in Guyton on July 25; the agency says she may be in the Savannah area and asks anyone with information to call 912-754-3449  ◆  Chatham County Savannah police shut down Waters Avenue between 56th Street and Delesseps Avenue Tuesday morning for a suspicious package investigation; no reopening time was given  ◆  Douglas County The Douglas County Sheriff's Office is asking for help finding Zariyah Miller, 15, last seen leaving her home on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026; the agency has classified her as a runaway and asks anyone with information to contact Inv. J. Jenkins at 678-486-1215  ◆  Cherokee County The driver of a minivan died after hitting the back of a Woodstock Elementary school bus stopped at a red light at Highway 92 and Main Street in Woodstock on Tuesday morning; he was 79 and from Marietta, two students were treated for minor injuries and all 20 students and the bus driver are safe  ◆  Cherokee County The Frank C. Mills III Justice Center in Canton closed after an Aug. 21 hazmat incident; a judicial emergency tolled court deadlines through Aug. 28 and courts sat at 94 North Street and the Historic Courthouse  ◆  Bryan County: Richmond Hill issued a boil water advisory Aug. 24 for Plantation Apartments buildings A through G after a leak repair dropped water pressure; the city said it would lift once testing cleared the system  ◆  Troup County: a student was stabbed with scissors during a fight at Gardner Newman Middle School in LaGrange on Monday afternoon; a 13-year-old faces charges of aggravated assault, aggravated battery and disrupting a public school  ◆  Chatham County: storms cut power to about 1,800 Georgia Power customers in Savannah Monday afternoon; 1,500 were back on within four hours and about 300 remained out, with a snapped pole off Middleground Road  ◆  Bryan County: Georgia State Patrol says eight children reported injuries and four were taken to Memorial Children's Hospital of Savannah after a Silverado hit the rear of a school bus on Highway 144 at Cherry Street in Richmond Hill; the driver of a Mercedes SUV was charged with improper lane change  ◆  Gwinnett County: a tractor-trailer fire closed all I-85 northbound lanes at the SR 211 exit near mile marker 124 from 1:21 p.m. ET; Gwinnett County police said one lane reopened about 3:30 p.m., and the right lane was still blocked as of GDOT’s 5:57 p.m. update.  ◆  Coweta County: all clear given after the bomb threat at Georgia Power's Plant Yates on Dyer Road; Highway 16 was shut at Dyer Road, sheriff's investigation ongoing  ◆  Towns County Sheriff Kenneth Henderson resigned Monday and took a negotiated plea over a confrontation with a Hiawassee officer; 10 years probation under the First Offender Act, a $1,000 fine and no running for office while on probation.  ◆  Cherokee County Jackie Ingram has been arrested on a charge of arson in the first degree in the Bells Ferry Road house fire that killed a dog early Monday; investigators say the cause is still being worked.  ◆  Lithonia A house fire destroyed a home at 7327 Union Grove Road in DeKalb County early Monday; one adult displaced, no injuries, and the road closed to traffic as of 7:25 a.m.  ◆  Fulton County An accident blocked I-20 eastbound at Fulton Industrial Boulevard early Monday with stop-and-go traffic back to Thornton Road; all eastbound lanes have reopened  ◆  Chatham County The Bull Street ramp to River Street and portions of East Upper Factors Walk are closed in downtown Savannah for Thomas Gamble Building renovation work; the city put the reopening at Friday, Aug. 28  ◆  Fulton County Richard Gooddine, a former East Point police sergeant, is due back in a Fulton County courtroom at 9 a.m. Monday for a retrial on 10 counts a 2022 jury deadlocked on; that jury acquitted him on seven others and he has maintained his innocence, WSB-TV reported  ◆  Fulton County Katrice Simmons, 59, missing since May 19 after moving from Florida to an apartment off Lanier Street NW, has been found, her daughter told FOX 5 Atlanta on Monday; Atlanta police had not responded to the station by 1:15 p.m. and her condition has not been stated  ◆  Candler Road one person was shot on the 2500 block near the Motel 6 in unincorporated Decatur about 5 a.m. Sunday and taken to a hospital; DeKalb County police say the person who fired left before officers arrived and no description has been released  ◆  Atlanta BeltLine a person stabbed near the Kroger at 725 Ponce de Leon Avenue NE died at a hospital Sunday afternoon; one possible suspect was detained and no charge has been announced  ◆  Downtown Connector a man on foot was struck by several vehicles and killed on I-75/85 northbound near University Avenue NW early Sunday; all northbound lanes were closed about three and a half hours  ◆  I-75 Atlanta the woman killed in the hit-and-run near Cleveland Avenue SW has been identified as Jaquelin Telesforo Vazquez, 23; the Volkswagen's driver left the scene on foot and is not in custody  ◆  Clayton County schools hold a remote learning day Monday, Aug. 24 — all Pre-K–12 students learn from home, staff report as normal, classes resume Tuesday  ◆  Henry County Eagle’s Landing Country Club still partly dark Sunday night; Georgia Power says a truck hit a transformer, about 490 of roughly 900 customers were still out, and restoration for all is estimated at noon Monday  ◆  Marietta Paul Mackay, 76, who has dementia and went missing from a Roswell Road apartment, found safe about 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Cobb County police say  ◆  Augusta: Richmond County deputies are searching for James Atkinson, 47, wanted in connection with an aggravated assault and an aggravated battery reported Saturday on the 500 block of Boy Scout Road; deputies say he may be carrying a machete  ◆  Cordele: A 2-month-old boy died Friday evening after being brought to Crisp Regional Hospital; Cordele police and the GBI are investigating and the body was sent to the state crime lab in Macon for an autopsy, with no cause of death determined  ◆  Atlanta: A 35-year-old man was shot during an argument at Tokyo Valentino on Cheshire Bridge Road about 6:10 a.m. Saturday; a security guard shot the suspect, and James Jenkins, 23, has been charged with aggravated assault  ◆  Savannah: A man was fatally shot Friday night inside a home on Benton Boulevard; Victor Bernardo Salazar, 18, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault  ◆  Crisp County: One man was killed about 5:30 a.m. Saturday in a two-vehicle accident on I-75 near mile marker 94 in Cordele; the sheriff's office is investigating  ◆  Macon: Clint Parrish, 30, was struck and killed on Forsyth Road in north Macon early Saturday; the Bibb County Sheriff's Office says the driver left without reporting it  ◆  Cobb County: Casey Price, 26, of Cartersville was killed about 3:23 a.m. Saturday when his car struck a parked tractor-trailer on I-75 northbound at the I-575 split  ◆  Atlanta: A 54-year-old man was killed about 2:35 a.m. Saturday on I-20 eastbound near Martin Luther King Jr. Drive; officers believe a tire may have blown out  ◆  Atlanta: Michaela Kemp, 26, was killed about 2:25 a.m. Saturday on I-85 southbound near GA 400 during a roadside fight; the medical examiner released her name that afternoon  ◆  Gordon County: USGS recorded a magnitude 2.4 earthquake about 4:54 a.m. Saturday near Resaca and Calhoun, at a depth of about 5.8 miles, with no felt reports  ◆  Richmond Hill: Richmond Hill police say Eli Longobardi, 15, the teenager last seen leaving a Richmond Heights bus stop Thursday afternoon, has been located safely  ◆  Port Wentworth: Police are asking for help finding Kellyeah Claxton, 15, last seen at her home on Cold Creek Pass in a gray dress; officials believe she may be in east Savannah  ◆  Thomaston: A 1977 Piper Lance came down on its belly at the Thomaston-Upson County Airport near Rocky Bottom Road about 2:30 p.m. Friday, ran off the end of the runway and struck an antenna; both people aboard were uninjured and the airport was shut down until further notice  ◆  Augusta: Ronald Wynn II, 21, was killed and a woman was hospitalized in a shooting on the 3800 block of Old Waynesboro Road; the coroner said Wynn was pronounced dead at Wellstar MCG at 4:33 p.m. and an autopsy has been scheduled, and no suspect has been identified  ◆  Savannah: The GBI has arrested and charged four former Savannah Police Department employees over use of the Flock Safety license plate reader system; all four were booked into the Chatham County Jail and the investigation is active and ongoing  ◆  Canton: A ruptured line in the main air conditioning system at the Cherokee County Justice Center on North Street coated all three floors with a hazardous film Friday afternoon; the building was evacuated, hazmat crews stopped the leak and officials said no injuries were reported  ◆  Twiggs County: A severe thunderstorm dropped trees across Highway 96 between Highway 80 and Watson Drive in Jeffersonville on Friday afternoon, trapping three school buses; no one was injured and Highway 96 was passable again about 4:23 p.m., the sheriff's office said  ◆  Marietta: Hazmat teams stabilized a chemical reaction at a business at 2242 Northwest Pkwy. in Cobb County on Friday morning; three people inside were evaluated by medical crews and released, the Marietta Fire Department said  ◆  Atlanta: Antavious Kimber, on APD's Top 10 Most Wanted list in connection with a Dec. 10, 2025 southwest Atlanta homicide, has been arrested, the FBI's Violent Crime Task Force and APD's Fugitive Unit announced Friday  ◆  Canton: the mother of a 2-year-old boy who died after being found unresponsive on Cartersville Street is charged with murder in the second degree, Canton police announced Friday  ◆  Northwest Atlanta: a cat, several chickens and several ducks were rescued from a house fire in the 600 block of North Avenue NW near Georgia Tech Friday morning; a second cat is unaccounted for and the cause is still under investigation  ◆  Atkinson County: the GBI says preliminary information indicates Kendall Alfonzo Stevens, 37, an inmate serving life without parole at Telfair State Prison, made the Aug. 21 bomb threat that closed every Atkinson County school; no charge has been announced and the Alapaha District Attorney’s Office will review the case file  ◆  Burke County: the sheriff's office confirmed Friday that a Thursday night accident on Highway 23 between Saxon Road and Spring Branch Church Road was deadly; the road reopened at 12:20 a.m. Friday, and the number of people killed and the cause have not been released  ◆  Ringgold flash flooding floods Caffeine Addicts on Nashville Street, damages Battlefield Parkway and Hwy 41 businesses; homes hit near Creekside Park  ◆  Atlanta: a car sped through the Morehouse College campus, hit a light pole and overturned about 12:25 a.m. Friday on the 800 block of Westview Drive SW, narrowly missing two Spelman College students; the driver has not been identified and no citation or charge has been announced  ◆  Atlanta: a man, 33, found shot dead behind the wheel of a gray SUV at the Villages at Castleberry Hill on McDaniel Street near Northside Drive around 1:30 a.m. Friday; police say he was killed in an attempted robbery, possibly two suspects, no arrests, not yet identified  ◆  DeKalb County: GSP charges 18-year-old Jakori Cope with violating the Move Over law and following too closely after an accident in an active work zone on I-20 eastbound near Panola Road in Lithonia; a Greene County deputy and a 42-year-old man were hospitalized, and all eastbound lanes reopened just after 6 a.m.  ◆  Clayton County: Delta Flight 1518 to Raleigh RETURNED to Hartsfield-Jackson on Thursday night after right engine trouble; the Boeing 737-900 took off at 7:42 p.m., landed back at 8:10 p.m. and nobody was reported hurt  ◆  Chatham County: Georgia Southern LIFTED the Armstrong campus shelter-in-place in Savannah at about 7:50 p.m. Thursday, saying no known imminent threat remains after an armed robbery reported near Mercy Boulevard and Abercorn Street  ◆  Laurens County: Dublin boil water advisory LIFTED as of 5:36 p.m. Thursday after testing cleared the water system; normal use may resume, with higher chlorine possible during flushing; West Laurens Middle School returns to its regular schedule Friday  ◆  Chatham County: police are searching for Ronald Sapp Jr., 52, last seen July 30 in the woods off Bradley Boulevard and Ogeechee Road; police said he has medical concerns and believe he does not have his prescribed medication, and appealed to the public for help on Thursday  ◆  Cobb County: I-20 westbound REOPENED in Austell just before 8 p.m. Thursday, about three hours after an accident between Riverside Parkway and Thornton Road that seriously injured at least one person  ◆  Cherokee County: a stabbing in the parking lot of the Chick-fil-A on Highway 92 near I-75 in Acworth sent a mother to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital on Thursday afternoon; her daughter was stopped in Whitfield County about an hour and 15 minutes later, two children in the car were not hurt, and the restaurant is temporarily closed  ◆  Dodge County: a tractor-combine, a box truck and a log truck collided on U.S. Highway 280 near State Route 87 around 12:45 p.m. Thursday, closing every lane for hours; no one was injured and all lanes reopened around 3:20 p.m., with the Georgia State Patrol investigating  ◆  Troup County: I-85 northbound FULLY REOPENED at SR 219 after a tractor-trailer fire; both lanes were shut from 2:57 p.m., the left lane reopened about 5:45 p.m. and GDOT’s 8:28 p.m. update shows no lanes blocked  ◆  Buford: a walk-behind floor cleaner accidentally started a small fire in a janitorial closet behind Victoria's Secret and GNC at the Mall of Georgia; sprinklers put it out before crews arrived and no injuries were reported  ◆  Gwinnett County: the man shot to death at the Woodland Grove Townhomes off Lawrenceville Highway has been identified as Ty'shawn Frank, 29, and Loren Tademy, 28, has been arrested in Savannah and charged with felony murder  ◆  Houston County: metal detection systems are coming to every middle and high school in the Houston County School District, plus stadiums and competition gyms, with a security guard added at each school and at the Houston College & Career Academy; delivery is expected in four to eight weeks and hiring starts in September  ◆  Cobb & Fulton: the two right lanes of I-285 between Hollowell Parkway (exit 12) and South Cobb Drive (exit 15) were closed from 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21 to 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 24  ◆  Lee County: the farm tractor driver killed by a Norfolk Southern train at the Goodwin Road crossing near U.S. Highway 19 has been identified as Jose Aguilar, 38, of Montezuma; the Georgia State Patrol investigation is active and its findings are preliminary  ◆  Hephzibah: a parent with a weapon was detained in the Hephzibah High School parking lot Thursday; no students or staff were hurt and normal school operations were not disrupted, the principal told families  ◆  Worth County: Worth County High School in Sylvester released students at 1 p.m. Thursday after a message referencing a possible bomb threat was found written on a bathroom wall; a law enforcement search of the school reportedly turned up no explosive devices and all Worth County schools are on a normal schedule Friday, with Sylvester police handling the case  ◆  Athens-Clarke County: a car and a Clarke County Schools bus collided on the Athens Perimeter outer loop at about 7:15 a.m. Thursday; children were aboard and none were reported injured, and the car's driver was taken to the hospital  ◆  DeKalb County: Moreland Avenue and the exits from I-285 onto it reopened about 3:30 p.m. Thursday, roughly six hours after an overturned truck spilled about 300 gallons of hydrogen peroxide at Thurman Drive; fire crews contained the leak at 12:45 p.m. and no injuries were reported  ◆  Sumter County: one dead and one airlifted after a head-on accident on Highway 19 South near Highway 308 and Three Bridges Road; the northbound lanes were closed and traffic rerouted onto Highway 308 while deputies worked the scene  ◆  Troup County: all lanes of I-185 southbound were closed at South Thompson Road from 7:46 a.m.; GDOT dropped the event from 511's active list just after 9 a.m., about 46 minutes before its own anticipated end time  ◆  DeKalb County: Bouldercrest Road has reopened at Clifton Church Road after a Honda Accord hit a power pole just before 6 a.m.; the driver ran from the scene and more than 530 Georgia Power customers lost power  ◆  Augusta: David Mosley, 65, charged with murder in the shooting death of Otis Keith Pearce, 33, on the 3500 block of Rushing Road; Richmond County deputies arrested him at the scene; charged, not convicted  ◆  DeKalb County: the two young children who left with their father after a domestic dispute at Parkway Grand on Woodberry Place have been RETURNED SAFELY to their mother; Jakarii Eason is still wanted on warrants from an EARLIER incident, and police say those charges are not related to Wednesday night  ◆  Atlanta: gunfire hits apartments and cars at the Village of Castleberry Hills on McDaniel Street near Northside Drive in southwest Atlanta; police say no injuries reported; no suspect information released, no arrests  ◆  Camden County: all I-95 southbound lanes closed at Harrietts Bluff Road after a vehicle fire; GDOT pushes its estimated reopening from 8:09 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.; northbound open with a smoke hazard in the left lane  ◆  Troup County: LaGrange police say a 16-year-old student was taken into custody at LaGrange Academy on Vernon Road after a reported threat to shoot students; no weapon found, no charges announced  ◆  Laurens County: Dublin City Schools and West Laurens Middle School closed Thursday, Aug. 20, a second straight day, with the Joiner Street boil water advisory still in effect; city manager says it will likely hold at least until 2 p.m. Thursday; all other Laurens County schools open  ◆  Coweta County: Isaiah Phillips, 30, arrested in Fayetteville and charged with sexual battery, battery and false imprisonment over the Travis Street attack near downtown Senoia; charged, not convicted  ◆  Effingham County: Rincon police say Bryan Fox, 57, was tased and taken into custody after a baseball bat disturbance and a small apartment fire on Towne Park West Drive; not charged, felony charges pending  ◆  Barrow County: Brandon Scroggins, 39, of Abilene, Texas, charged over alleged threats to Judge Nicholas Primm and the Barrow County District Attorney's Office in Winder; charged, not convicted  ◆  Laurens County: Dublin stays under a boil water advisory after the 16-inch Joiner Street main break is repaired; Dublin City Schools, West Laurens Middle School and the OFTC Dublin campus closed Wednesday, City Hall reopens at noon  ◆  Richmond County: coroner identifies Deputy Phillip Wasson, 49, and Heather Michelle Lanier, 57, both of Augusta, as the two killed in the Washington Road accident; Sheriff Eugene Brantley issues a statement; all lanes reopened around 10:15 a.m.  ◆  Dougherty County: bicyclist, 40, killed in accident in the 600 block of North Westover Boulevard in Albany; APD traffic unit investigating  ◆  Bibb County: Charles Anthony Palmer, 29, of Ocala, Florida, killed by an 18-wheeler while crossing I-475 southbound near Zebulon Road in Macon, BSO says; blocked lanes have cleared  ◆  Clayton County: Eric André and Clayton English settle their jet bridge lawsuit against Clayton County police at Hartsfield-Jackson; the county admits no fault and says the program has ended  ◆  Cobb County: Stone Mountain man arrested in Smyrna is charged in the Greg Biffle home burglary, the Iredell County sheriff says  ◆  Union County: Charles Hosch memorial service set for Sept. 19 after the Blood Mountain search ended without him being found  ◆  Atlanta: Mayor Andre Dickens asks the City Council to begin condemnation on five blighted Westside properties  ◆  Lee County: Smit Patel charged with 22 counts of sexual exploitation of children after a July 28 cybertip, LCSO says  ◆  Sparta: GBI seeks Stephen Russell Ellis, 62, wanted on two warrants, last seen near Island Creek Church Road  ◆  Clayton County: I-675 lanes reopen after an SUV fire near Anvil Block Road; no injuries reported  ◆  Fulton County: temporary 2026 property tax bills mailed Aug. 15 under a court order; Alpharetta, Milton and Roswell excluded  ◆  Southwest Atlanta: renters at Gateway South Apartments say an 8-inch gap split their living room floor open  ◆  Metro Atlanta: DPH confirms measles in an unvaccinated resident, the seventh Georgia case of 2026  ◆  Bulloch County: grass fire burns about half a mile of the I-16 West median near State Route 67 at mile marker 125.8  ◆  Jones County: deputies searching for Carl Caruthers, 61, last seen in the Fox Road area, possibly on a black Honda Shadow  ◆  Fulton County: Kenneth Spruill, wanted out of Tennessee, arrested in Hapeville  ◆  DeKalb County: Tehutihotep Hartley, 26, of Decatur, found unresponsive at the DeKalb County Jail  ◆  Fulton County: Eric Gordon of Decatur indicted on a trafficking charge after Operation “Global Chain”  ◆  Chatham County: Human remains found at East President Street and Wahlstrom Road construction site, work halted  ◆  Chatham County: Largo Drive shooting in Savannah leaves one man seriously hurt; Georgia Southern shelter in place  ◆  I-285: GDOT called off the full weekend shutdown between Cascade Road and Langford Parkway in southwest Fulton over expected weather. The two left lanes each direction were scheduled to close 9 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 31; that window has passed. No new date for the full closure.  ◆  DeKalb County: seventh mosquito trap of 2026 tests positive for West Nile virus, in ZIP code 30329  ◆  Jones County: deputies searching for John Rouse, 65, last seen near Pinetree Drive and Joycliff Road  ◆  Chatham County: Jimmy DeLoach Parkway southbound closed at Morgan Lakes Industrial Boulevard after a steel spill  ◆  DeKalb County: student fight and pepper spray at Eagle Woods Academy, officer needed an EpiPen  ◆  Metro Atlanta: tree down on Abner Place, lines down on Browns Mill Road, Cagle Road closed  ◆  DeKalb County: woman killed on I-285 while directing traffic around an earlier accident  ◆  Monroe County: two I-75 southbound lanes out near exits 187-189, Aug. 21-31  ◆  Decatur: Beacon Hill Middle goes virtual after HVAC failure left classrooms in the 90s  ◆  Laurens County: Kemp suspends all seven Dublin city school board members  ◆  Hall County driver cited for DUI after a minivan struck a bus carrying 28 students  ◆  Monroe County water main break cuts service on Collier, Smith and Orchard Ridge  ◆  Gwinnett County mother charged in son's hot car death due in court for a bond hearing  ◆  Paulding County becomes the third county to charge Bobby Lee Hart Jr.  ◆  Henry County Atlanta police K9 Stano found safe in a Hampton swimming pool  ◆  Conyers arrest in the Dogwood Drive hit-and-run that killed Andrea Cantrell, 43  ◆  Atlanta Officer DeVante Matthews shot in Oakland City, Michael Gates in custody  ◆  Marietta Dairon Keith indicted on eight counts including malice murder in the death of Messiah Harris, 2  ◆  Houston County deputy suspended without pay over Flock plate-reader misuse  ◆  Macon Caleb Hendrix sentenced to 15 years in Riggins Mill Road accident that killed Michael Burnett  ◆  Cobb County Albany NY police employee denied bail on child molestation charges  ◆  Hart County body recovered from Lake Hartwell two months after David Seymour vanished  ◆  Sparta five shot at Hancock County party, one critical  ◆  Atlanta Amber Alert sisters found safe; babysitter Lakesha Brown charged with kidnapping  ◆  Gwinnett County seven plead guilty to racketeering over 492 vehicle break-ins  ◆  Atlanta Davion Curney charged in the death of Cameron Boone, 13  ◆  Alpharetta Drive Planning CEO Todd Burkhalter sentenced to 20 years in Ponzi scheme  ◆  Covington Destinee Riggins arrested after officer dragged on Highway 142  ◆  Barrow County Apalachee shooter Colt Gray sentenced to life without parole  ◆  Decatur son charged with murder after father found shot to death on Pepperdine Drive  ◆  Coweta County former school resource officer indicted on child molestation charges  ◆  Hall County Cherokee Bluff High cleared after bomb threat, no device found  ◆  Paulding County coroner orders inquest into Heather Turner's 2017 death  ◆  Jackson County all schools closed Friday after overnight bomb threats  ◆  DeKalb County missing 9-year-old Eli found safe  ◆  Douglasville driver charged in prom night accident that killed Patience Price, 18  ◆  Stone Mountain search continues for Sherry Wages, 72, missing since June  ◆  Trenton NY mother and 2 children found living in a shed; extradition pending  ◆  Athens Maxton Ball, 9, killed on Lexington Road at Whit Davis Road  ◆  Troup County Dakota Fuller charged with arson after Jim Turner Road fire  ◆  Waynesboro new judge assigned in ousted sheriff case  ◆  Valdosta 559.4 lbs of marijuana seized in i-75 traffic stop  ◆  Albany apd searching for 2 armed robbery suspects  ◆  Fulton County jail escapee Demetrius Burkes back in custody after downtown search  ◆  Floyd County William Roger Caver charged with felony murder in the death of Christopher D. Freeland  ◆  MARTA service shut at Medical Center station after a man walked onto the tracks  ◆  Milledgeville two sentenced in a federal methamphetamine trafficking case  ◆  Macon woman, 42, dies after being struck by a van on Houston Avenue  ◆  DeKalb County two separate shootings minutes apart, one person dead  ◆  Lawrenceville nine years in federal prison for Gabriel Ojeda Murguia in a fentanyl case  ◆  Smyrna bond denied for a former Ridgeview Institute employee charged in an assault on a patient  ◆  Washington County three arrested in a prison contraband-drop investigation  ◆  Savannah mayor and DA respond after a Daffin Park suspect's arrest history  ◆  Macon Torey Burnette sentenced to life with parole in the death of Zyshown Dunn  ◆  East Point human skull found in the woods; remains unidentified  ◆  McDuffie County Mateo Santos Pinkston held on a murder charge  ◆  Augusta testimony continues in the murder trial over the death of Arbrie Anthony, 8  ◆  Albany murder trial opens for Shaquille Mathis in the 2020 killing of Jawaski Kennedy  ◆  Sparta GBI seeking information on George Wayne Pailloz Jr., 55, missing since late July  ◆  Savannah Charles Teeple sentenced in the 2019 New Year's Eve death of Bruce Helmly  ◆  Dublin state board recommends suspending the city school board; nobody is suspended, Kemp decides  ◆  Cartersville three men indicted on federal forced-labor charges  ◆  Tifton two women charged with aggravated battery in Crescent Ridge attack  ◆  DeKalb County arrests announced over I-285 street takeover near Glenwood Road  ◆  Cornelia family escapes Waterwheel Court house fire during overnight storms  ◆  Gilmer County fallen tree blocked crews reaching a house fire on Highway 382  ◆  SR 316 right-lane closures at Jimmy Daniell Road Thursday and Friday nights  ◆  Vidalia Savannah man charged with murder in the July 4 death of Rashad Lumpkin  ◆  Savannah bond denied for all five charged in Fellwood Homes shooting  ◆  Glynn County sheriff's office defends its release of a veteran with dementia  ◆  Clayton County person shot after encounter between drivers near Highway 138  ◆  Downtown Atlanta man shot near Hurt Plaza in early-morning dispute  ◆  Marietta Dairon Keith indicted on murder charges in the death of Messiah Harris, 2  ◆  McDuffie County Tangla Brown, 48, killed in Old Milledgeville Road accident  ◆  Gainesville Obed Reyes charged in apartment break-in and assault of a teenager  ◆  Albany man found dead at Country Place Apartments  ◆  Albany two killed when van left Wildfair Road and struck a tree  ◆  Barrow County school bus accident on Highway 211, six students taken to a hospital  ◆  Paulding County former Dallas 911 director charged over Flock camera misuse  ◆  Albany structure fire on West Gordon Avenue, no injuries reported  ◆  Savannah man shot in the leg in the 1900 block of Pendleton Street  ◆  Atlanta man killed on I-85 South near Metropolitan Parkway  ◆  Fulton County: I-285 was fully closed both directions between Cascade Road and MLK Jr. Drive over the weekend of Aug. 15-17; the road reopened as scheduled  ◆  Douglas County fourth arrest in Dog River Reservoir death of Jamal Parker  ◆  Warner Robins 14-year-old denied bond in high school shooting case  ◆  Macon woman's body found outside abandoned building on Second Street  ◆  Lithonia Ricardo Fallen, 20, killed in DeKalb County apartment shooting  ◆  Southwest Atlanta Cascade Avenue closed after tree downs power lines and traffic signal  ◆  Buford bystander shot outside Mall of Georgia venue; Jalyn Watkins, 22, charged  ◆  Columbus police search for Keith Teague, 57, missing since July 28  ◆  Warner Robins apartment fire damages eight units, displaces 15 at Village North  ◆  Conyers AutoZone employee shot in the leg; co-worker charged with reckless conduct  ◆  Lamar County Keith Odel, 26, arrested after driver shot at on Lamar County Line Road  ◆  Jonesboro Joshua Scott, 27, killed in Dixon Road shooting; one detained  ◆  Smyrna student arrested after weapon recovered at Campbell Middle School  ◆  Ellenwood Joanne Howell, 70, recovered from Misty Lake after Mattie's Call  ◆  DeKalb County 16-year-old arrested in Rockcliff Road sleepover shooting  ◆  Lawrenceville Camp Perrin Road house fire ruled arson, six adults displaced  ◆  Newnan girl, 14, escapes Highway 154 standoff; man charged  ◆  I-75 Atlanta Akil Lateef Mayer, 34, killed running across the interstate  ◆  Atlanta 85-year-old woman shot on her own porch on Browns Mill Road  ◆  Hazlehurst Terrance McCoy, 16, killed; 2 teens charged with murder  ◆  Vine City Demazio Skelton Jr., 35, killed; Naim Smith, 19, charged with murder  ◆  Marietta scooter rider critically hurt on Powder Springs Road  ◆  Whitfield County tractor-trailer overturns on I-75 near Dalton, SUV driver cited  ◆  Macon 4 hurt in I-75 accident at Eisenhower Parkway, driver fatigue cited  ◆  Atlanta man killed by Norfolk Southern train on Murphy Avenue  ◆  Troup County Ked Hall, 55, of LaGrange killed in Hines Road accident  ◆  Cartersville Connor Smith, 27, killed in Highway 20 motorcycle accident  ◆  Adairsville Ratanza Winters-Gardner, 34, killed; driver charged with vehicular homicide  ◆  Cartersville Brian McLaughlin, 57, killed crossing Highway 41 at Grassdale Road  ◆  Lake Allatoona all 5 aboard ejected in boat accident, no deaths reported  ◆  Macon 3 former Bibb County deputies charged over Flock camera searches  ◆  Bartow County 3 dead in 3 days on Highway 20 and Joe Frank Harris Parkway  ◆  Burke County 4 killed at two scenes, suspect shot dead by deputies  ◆  Albany school bus driver cited after Liberty Expressway accident  ◆  Columbia County 14-year-old killed on I-20 at mile marker 187  ◆  Cobb County Marietta man, 81, killed in Barrett Parkway accident  ◆  Rockdale County lockdowns lifted at two high schools, person in custody  ◆  Pulaski County Fred Hitchcock, 75, killed on Eastman Highway near Hawkinsville  ◆  Dooly County 1 killed on Highway 27 after a deer strike near Vienna  ◆  Cartersville Marcus Maurice Williams, 31, killed by Bartow County deputy  ◆  I-85 NB reopened at mile marker 136 after fatal 5-vehicle accident  ◆  Bulloch County Statesboro woman killed on Old River Road  ◆  North Georgia 2 critically injured in plane accident, NTSB investigating  ◆  Henry County: two people were found dead at a house on Limbaugh Valley Drive on Wednesday and officers at the scene confirmed the deaths; the Henry County Police Department separately reported a shooting late that morning in the South River Manor subdivision in unincorporated McDonough and said there is no active threat, and as of 2:30 p.m. nobody had been identified, no cause of death released and no arrest announced  ◆  Monroe County: a teacher was hit by a student driver in the junior parking lot at Mary Persons High School in Forsyth at 2:57 p.m. Tuesday during afternoon dismissal; deputies said the teacher was alert and conscious with leg pain and was taken to a hospital in the area, the school system called the injuries not life threatening, and no citation has been announced  ◆  Lowndes County: a 10-year-old boy was shot in the face at Brittany Woods Apartments on Old Statenville Road in Valdosta around 5 p.m. Monday; police said a 9-year-old shot him, the wounded boy was moved to a Florida hospital in stable but critical condition and no charges have been announced  ◆  DeKalb County: three people aboard a MARTA bus reported injuries after an accident near North Shallowford Road and Peachford Road in Dunwoody late Monday morning; the front of the bus was badly damaged and no agency has established a cause  ◆  DeKalb County: Anthony Angeles, 19, died after a Georgia State Patrol patrol car and a GMC pickup collided about 2:30 a.m. Monday at Mountain Industrial Boulevard and Hugh Howell Road; troopers were responding to illegal stunt driving, the pickup’s driver was hospitalized and the trooper is on administrative leave  ◆  Fulton County: a fire at the Providence Green recycling center on Mallory Road in South Fulton sent heavy black smoke and metal debris across the area Sunday; it was under control around midnight, hazmat crews found no toxic hazard, no one was hurt and the cause has not been determined  ◆  DeKalb County: Police asked the public Sunday for help finding Janiah, 14, and Iveon, 12, last seen around noon Saturday leaving the 2200 block of Chestnut Hill Circle in Decatur, each riding a bicycle; police released first names only and ask anyone with information to call 770-724-7710  ◆  Fulton County: The FAA ordered a ground stop at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport at 6 p.m. Saturday and extended it twice as severe thunderstorms crossed metro Atlanta; the National Weather Service confirmed wind damage in Fulton and Gordon counties.  ◆  Burke County: a sheriff’s deputy tried to stop a speeding vehicle on Bates Road on Saturday afternoon; the driver did not stop and the vehicle overturned in the 300 block near Clark’s Place Road. Deputies took the driver into custody on six items including felony fleeing and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute; no name has been released  ◆  Gwinnett County: A person was struck and killed by a Norfolk Southern train on Bankers Industrial Drive just off Buford Highway shortly before 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4; police say the victim died at the scene and has not been identified, the site is not near a designated crossing and the train operator was not hurt  ◆  Augusta: Donte Godwin, 35, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer after deputies were fired on in the 100 block of Tybee Court on Sept. 3; the Richmond County Sheriff's Office announced the arrest the following evening and no deputies were hurt  ◆  Chatham County: Police asked the public Friday for help finding Mariah Jackson, 15, last seen about 3 p.m. Thursday getting off a school bus in the Wax Myrtle Court area, wearing khaki pants and a white shirt; investigators have categorized her as a missing runaway and asked anyone who sees her to call 911  ◆  Paulding County: A single-engine plane crashed in woods off Hulseytown Road near Paulding Northwest Atlanta Airport at 8:06 p.m. Thursday, critically injuring an 18-year-old student pilot and his 22-year-old flight instructor, who called 911 themselves from the wreckage; the FAA and NTSB were notified and no cause has been released  ◆  Barrow County: Erica Gibson, 21, of Atlanta has been found safe in the Atlanta area and is no longer considered missing, the City of Winder said Sept. 4, after a two-day search that closed Fort Yargo State Park in Winder and put dive teams on the lake  ◆  Liberty County: Hinesville issued a boil water advisory Sept. 3 covering all of Baconfield Subdivision, Liberty County High School, the Performing Arts Center and four nearby streets, tied to repair of a water main break on Highway 84; the city said it will announce when the advisory is lifted  ◆  Gwinnett County: one person was killed in a motorcycle accident on I-85 southbound at Indian Trail Lilburn Road; Gwinnett County police confirmed the death, and all southbound lanes reopened at about 4:15 p.m. ET  ◆  Meriwether County: Warm Springs Officer Chris Fisher, 36, shot and killed outside a Spring Street motel; Jimmie Steverson, 23, found dead in Anderson County, South Carolina  ◆  Atlanta: Atlanta police recruit Moses Russ, 24, was killed riding his motorcycle to academy training in an accident at Moreland Avenue and McDonough Boulevard in southeast Atlanta shortly after 7 a.m. Tuesday; the road reopened after several hours, the other driver was not hurt and no one has been charged  ◆  DeKalb County: police are asking for help identifying a boy believed to be about 8 and described as non-verbal, found alone in the 1400 block of Bouldercrest Road on Monday afternoon; anyone who recognizes him or knows his guardians is asked to call 911 or 770-724-7710  ◆  Upatoi: Beunkus Shanequa Collins, 33, was killed by a vehicle in the 13300 block of Macon Road in Columbus early Monday. The coroner ruled it accidental; Columbus police said no charges are pending.  ◆  Sandy Springs: GDOT closed GA 400 southbound Exit 5 on Aug. 29 and replaced it with two temporary ramps — Exit 5-B to the North Springs MARTA station and Exit 5-A to Abernathy Road and Hammond Drive. GDOT said they could stay up to two years.  ◆  DeKalb County: police issued a Mattie’s Call Sunday evening for Andrew Dansby, 61, last seen before 1 p.m. leaving the 1000 block of Village Road in Stone Mountain; he is 5 feet 7 inches and about 179 pounds, last seen in a light blue polo over a purple shirt, blue jeans and an Army hat with a white rose, and anyone who sees him is asked to call 770-724-7710  ◆  Chatham County: a flood advisory covered Tybee Island Sunday morning after an observer two miles north of the island logged 5.11 inches of rain in three hours; residents at Lighthouse Point and North Beach reported heavy flooding and stalled cars, and the advisory was cancelled at 11:12 a.m. with road closures noted as remaining  ◆  Liberty County: the GBI identified the man wounded by a Hinesville officer outside Frozen Paradise Bar & Grill as Cashane Cadeem Calder, 31, a Fort Stewart soldier; he is in stable but critical condition and has not been charged.  ◆  Coweta County: five people in custody and a gun found on the ground after a fight at the Newnan High vs. East Coweta High football game  ◆  Conyers: Rockdale County High vs. Heritage High football game canceled after the teams fought during pre-game warmups  ◆  Metro Atlanta: DPH confirms four more measles cases in a daycare outbreak, taking Georgia's 2026 total to 11  ◆  Savannah: Two men are dead after a shooting and SWAT standoff on East Anderson Street near East Broad Street; Chief Lenny Gunther said police are investigating a suspected murder-suicide  ◆  Macon: Willie H. Smith Jr., 78, was killed when a Chevrolet Equinox left Waverland Drive and struck a roof in the 1900 block of Woodland Drive shortly before 10 a.m. Thursday; no one else was hurt  ◆  Albany: Jamar Phillips, 17, was killed and a second man hospitalized in a shooting in the 200 block of East Oglethorpe Boulevard around 2:45 a.m. Thursday; Albany police say a vehicle officers pursued was not involved  ◆  Atlanta: A gas leak closed Memorial Drive near Wilbur Avenue in Reynoldstown Thursday morning; Atlanta Fire Rescue asked the public to avoid the area while crews worked to repair it  ◆  Crisp County: A driver was hospitalized after a northbound vehicle struck a Georgia DOT truck on I-75 at mile marker 104; the sheriff's office is investigating  ◆  Paulding County: Chloe Day, 9, reported missing Wednesday night near Old Cartersville Road, was found safe Thursday morning; the circumstances behind her recovery are unknown, Atlanta News First reported.  ◆  Atlanta: A pedestrian was struck and killed on I-75/85 northbound at the North Avenue exit just before 5 a.m. Thursday; all northbound lanes of the Downtown Connector reopened at 8:38 a.m.  ◆  Sylvania: a Screven County High School student was taken into custody Wednesday after an alleged social media threat; dispatchers alerted police about 3:18 p.m. and authorities said no active threat remained  ◆  Augusta: two students at Monte Sano Elementary School were heard talking about a weapon during a class transition Wednesday; Principal Jasmine Scott wrote to families the same day  ◆  Twiggs County: a 6-year-old spotted a house fire on Sgoda Road and alerted his mother, who uses a wheelchair; all three people inside got out uninjured.  ◆  Floyd County: Drake Ladon Keef, 32, is charged with hit and run in the accident that killed pedestrian Stevie Marie Thompson, 35, near Chulio Road; he is charged, not convicted.  ◆  DeKalb County: one person was hospitalized with serious injuries after a shooting at a home on Hidden Creek Drive; police were called at about 9:45 a.m. and have not announced an arrest.  ◆  Richmond County: Marcellus Ponder, 35, of Augusta was killed at 1:39 a.m. in a single-vehicle accident on the I-20 westbound Exit 196 ramp to I-520; he was pronounced dead at 2:46 a.m. and the westbound lanes reopened around 5:15 a.m.  ◆  Worth County: two people were killed where State Route 32 meets State Route 300, and GDOT says it will put a temporary R-CUT at the junction this year ahead of a roundabout  ◆  Fulton County: fire gutted the vacant Dairy Queen at North Avenue and Parkway Drive in Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward; no injuries, cause under investigation  ◆  Fulton County: a second man is charged in the July 2025 Sweet Auburn mass shooting on Edgewood Avenue in Atlanta — FBI Atlanta says its Violent Crime Task Force arrested Nasir Williams on a murder count and ten counts of aggravated assault; Santos J. Wyatt, 27, was killed and ten people wounded, and a third person is still being sought. Charged, not convicted.  ◆  Taylor County: two former Reynolds police officers are charged over an Aug. 22 domestic dispute on Armory Street — Landon E. Aldridge, 23, with hindering a 911 call and Christopher K. Boyt, 36, with violation of oath of office; both had already left the department and both investigations remain active  ◆  Richmond County Hephzibah Middle School was briefly evacuated Tuesday after a threatening call to the front office; students and staff were moved to Hephzibah Comprehensive High School, officers swept the building and an all-clear followed. No one was hurt, and no one has been identified, detained or charged.  ◆  Liberty County An accident closed Highway 144 both ways between I-95 and Sunbury Road near Fort Stewart from 1:10 p.m.; GDOT's record no longer listed the closure at 6:05 p.m. and no agency has announced a reopening  ◆  Dougherty County Terrance Davis, 28, is in custody in Texas awaiting extradition over the Feb. 2 East Broad Avenue accident in Albany that killed Dyllin Fallin, 31; the district attorney confirmed the arrest Tuesday  ◆  DeKalb County Chamblee Dunwoody Road has reopened both ways between Redfield Drive and Oakpointe Place in Dunwoody after crews repaired a gas leak; police said so around 2:40 p.m. Tuesday  ◆  Barrow County A dump truck hit a utility pole and went into the Super H gas station at 752 Christmas Avenue in Bethlehem on Tuesday morning; a store clerk was taken to a hospital with minor injuries, the driver had minor scratches, and investigators pointed to an apparent mechanical failure  ◆  Grady County Cairo High School says the lockdown notifications sent to families and the community on Tuesday were a false alarm and that there is no threat to the school; it has not said what caused them  ◆  South Fulton The South Fulton Police Department is asking for help finding Gibril Kanu, 37, who investigators say is autistic and has bipolar disorder, last seen Monday morning at River Oak Terrace; anyone with information is asked to call 470-809-7300  ◆  Effingham County The Effingham County Sheriff's Office is asking for help finding Gabriale Foskey, 17, last seen at her home on Sir Stephen Court in Guyton on July 25; the agency says she may be in the Savannah area and asks anyone with information to call 912-754-3449  ◆  Chatham County Savannah police shut down Waters Avenue between 56th Street and Delesseps Avenue Tuesday morning for a suspicious package investigation; no reopening time was given  ◆  Douglas County The Douglas County Sheriff's Office is asking for help finding Zariyah Miller, 15, last seen leaving her home on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026; the agency has classified her as a runaway and asks anyone with information to contact Inv. J. Jenkins at 678-486-1215  ◆  Cherokee County The driver of a minivan died after hitting the back of a Woodstock Elementary school bus stopped at a red light at Highway 92 and Main Street in Woodstock on Tuesday morning; he was 79 and from Marietta, two students were treated for minor injuries and all 20 students and the bus driver are safe  ◆  Cherokee County The Frank C. Mills III Justice Center in Canton closed after an Aug. 21 hazmat incident; a judicial emergency tolled court deadlines through Aug. 28 and courts sat at 94 North Street and the Historic Courthouse  ◆  Bryan County: Richmond Hill issued a boil water advisory Aug. 24 for Plantation Apartments buildings A through G after a leak repair dropped water pressure; the city said it would lift once testing cleared the system  ◆  Troup County: a student was stabbed with scissors during a fight at Gardner Newman Middle School in LaGrange on Monday afternoon; a 13-year-old faces charges of aggravated assault, aggravated battery and disrupting a public school  ◆  Chatham County: storms cut power to about 1,800 Georgia Power customers in Savannah Monday afternoon; 1,500 were back on within four hours and about 300 remained out, with a snapped pole off Middleground Road  ◆  Bryan County: Georgia State Patrol says eight children reported injuries and four were taken to Memorial Children's Hospital of Savannah after a Silverado hit the rear of a school bus on Highway 144 at Cherry Street in Richmond Hill; the driver of a Mercedes SUV was charged with improper lane change  ◆  Gwinnett County: a tractor-trailer fire closed all I-85 northbound lanes at the SR 211 exit near mile marker 124 from 1:21 p.m. ET; Gwinnett County police said one lane reopened about 3:30 p.m., and the right lane was still blocked as of GDOT’s 5:57 p.m. update.  ◆  Coweta County: all clear given after the bomb threat at Georgia Power's Plant Yates on Dyer Road; Highway 16 was shut at Dyer Road, sheriff's investigation ongoing  ◆  Towns County Sheriff Kenneth Henderson resigned Monday and took a negotiated plea over a confrontation with a Hiawassee officer; 10 years probation under the First Offender Act, a $1,000 fine and no running for office while on probation.  ◆  Cherokee County Jackie Ingram has been arrested on a charge of arson in the first degree in the Bells Ferry Road house fire that killed a dog early Monday; investigators say the cause is still being worked.  ◆  Lithonia A house fire destroyed a home at 7327 Union Grove Road in DeKalb County early Monday; one adult displaced, no injuries, and the road closed to traffic as of 7:25 a.m.  ◆  Fulton County An accident blocked I-20 eastbound at Fulton Industrial Boulevard early Monday with stop-and-go traffic back to Thornton Road; all eastbound lanes have reopened  ◆  Chatham County The Bull Street ramp to River Street and portions of East Upper Factors Walk are closed in downtown Savannah for Thomas Gamble Building renovation work; the city put the reopening at Friday, Aug. 28  ◆  Fulton County Richard Gooddine, a former East Point police sergeant, is due back in a Fulton County courtroom at 9 a.m. Monday for a retrial on 10 counts a 2022 jury deadlocked on; that jury acquitted him on seven others and he has maintained his innocence, WSB-TV reported  ◆  Fulton County Katrice Simmons, 59, missing since May 19 after moving from Florida to an apartment off Lanier Street NW, has been found, her daughter told FOX 5 Atlanta on Monday; Atlanta police had not responded to the station by 1:15 p.m. and her condition has not been stated  ◆  Candler Road one person was shot on the 2500 block near the Motel 6 in unincorporated Decatur about 5 a.m. Sunday and taken to a hospital; DeKalb County police say the person who fired left before officers arrived and no description has been released  ◆  Atlanta BeltLine a person stabbed near the Kroger at 725 Ponce de Leon Avenue NE died at a hospital Sunday afternoon; one possible suspect was detained and no charge has been announced  ◆  Downtown Connector a man on foot was struck by several vehicles and killed on I-75/85 northbound near University Avenue NW early Sunday; all northbound lanes were closed about three and a half hours  ◆  I-75 Atlanta the woman killed in the hit-and-run near Cleveland Avenue SW has been identified as Jaquelin Telesforo Vazquez, 23; the Volkswagen's driver left the scene on foot and is not in custody  ◆  Clayton County schools hold a remote learning day Monday, Aug. 24 — all Pre-K–12 students learn from home, staff report as normal, classes resume Tuesday  ◆  Henry County Eagle’s Landing Country Club still partly dark Sunday night; Georgia Power says a truck hit a transformer, about 490 of roughly 900 customers were still out, and restoration for all is estimated at noon Monday  ◆  Marietta Paul Mackay, 76, who has dementia and went missing from a Roswell Road apartment, found safe about 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Cobb County police say  ◆  Augusta: Richmond County deputies are searching for James Atkinson, 47, wanted in connection with an aggravated assault and an aggravated battery reported Saturday on the 500 block of Boy Scout Road; deputies say he may be carrying a machete  ◆  Cordele: A 2-month-old boy died Friday evening after being brought to Crisp Regional Hospital; Cordele police and the GBI are investigating and the body was sent to the state crime lab in Macon for an autopsy, with no cause of death determined  ◆  Atlanta: A 35-year-old man was shot during an argument at Tokyo Valentino on Cheshire Bridge Road about 6:10 a.m. Saturday; a security guard shot the suspect, and James Jenkins, 23, has been charged with aggravated assault  ◆  Savannah: A man was fatally shot Friday night inside a home on Benton Boulevard; Victor Bernardo Salazar, 18, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault  ◆  Crisp County: One man was killed about 5:30 a.m. Saturday in a two-vehicle accident on I-75 near mile marker 94 in Cordele; the sheriff's office is investigating  ◆  Macon: Clint Parrish, 30, was struck and killed on Forsyth Road in north Macon early Saturday; the Bibb County Sheriff's Office says the driver left without reporting it  ◆  Cobb County: Casey Price, 26, of Cartersville was killed about 3:23 a.m. Saturday when his car struck a parked tractor-trailer on I-75 northbound at the I-575 split  ◆  Atlanta: A 54-year-old man was killed about 2:35 a.m. Saturday on I-20 eastbound near Martin Luther King Jr. Drive; officers believe a tire may have blown out  ◆  Atlanta: Michaela Kemp, 26, was killed about 2:25 a.m. Saturday on I-85 southbound near GA 400 during a roadside fight; the medical examiner released her name that afternoon  ◆  Gordon County: USGS recorded a magnitude 2.4 earthquake about 4:54 a.m. Saturday near Resaca and Calhoun, at a depth of about 5.8 miles, with no felt reports  ◆  Richmond Hill: Richmond Hill police say Eli Longobardi, 15, the teenager last seen leaving a Richmond Heights bus stop Thursday afternoon, has been located safely  ◆  Port Wentworth: Police are asking for help finding Kellyeah Claxton, 15, last seen at her home on Cold Creek Pass in a gray dress; officials believe she may be in east Savannah  ◆  Thomaston: A 1977 Piper Lance came down on its belly at the Thomaston-Upson County Airport near Rocky Bottom Road about 2:30 p.m. Friday, ran off the end of the runway and struck an antenna; both people aboard were uninjured and the airport was shut down until further notice  ◆  Augusta: Ronald Wynn II, 21, was killed and a woman was hospitalized in a shooting on the 3800 block of Old Waynesboro Road; the coroner said Wynn was pronounced dead at Wellstar MCG at 4:33 p.m. and an autopsy has been scheduled, and no suspect has been identified  ◆  Savannah: The GBI has arrested and charged four former Savannah Police Department employees over use of the Flock Safety license plate reader system; all four were booked into the Chatham County Jail and the investigation is active and ongoing  ◆  Canton: A ruptured line in the main air conditioning system at the Cherokee County Justice Center on North Street coated all three floors with a hazardous film Friday afternoon; the building was evacuated, hazmat crews stopped the leak and officials said no injuries were reported  ◆  Twiggs County: A severe thunderstorm dropped trees across Highway 96 between Highway 80 and Watson Drive in Jeffersonville on Friday afternoon, trapping three school buses; no one was injured and Highway 96 was passable again about 4:23 p.m., the sheriff's office said  ◆  Marietta: Hazmat teams stabilized a chemical reaction at a business at 2242 Northwest Pkwy. in Cobb County on Friday morning; three people inside were evaluated by medical crews and released, the Marietta Fire Department said  ◆  Atlanta: Antavious Kimber, on APD's Top 10 Most Wanted list in connection with a Dec. 10, 2025 southwest Atlanta homicide, has been arrested, the FBI's Violent Crime Task Force and APD's Fugitive Unit announced Friday  ◆  Canton: the mother of a 2-year-old boy who died after being found unresponsive on Cartersville Street is charged with murder in the second degree, Canton police announced Friday  ◆  Northwest Atlanta: a cat, several chickens and several ducks were rescued from a house fire in the 600 block of North Avenue NW near Georgia Tech Friday morning; a second cat is unaccounted for and the cause is still under investigation  ◆  Atkinson County: the GBI says preliminary information indicates Kendall Alfonzo Stevens, 37, an inmate serving life without parole at Telfair State Prison, made the Aug. 21 bomb threat that closed every Atkinson County school; no charge has been announced and the Alapaha District Attorney’s Office will review the case file  ◆  Burke County: the sheriff's office confirmed Friday that a Thursday night accident on Highway 23 between Saxon Road and Spring Branch Church Road was deadly; the road reopened at 12:20 a.m. Friday, and the number of people killed and the cause have not been released  ◆  Ringgold flash flooding floods Caffeine Addicts on Nashville Street, damages Battlefield Parkway and Hwy 41 businesses; homes hit near Creekside Park  ◆  Atlanta: a car sped through the Morehouse College campus, hit a light pole and overturned about 12:25 a.m. Friday on the 800 block of Westview Drive SW, narrowly missing two Spelman College students; the driver has not been identified and no citation or charge has been announced  ◆  Atlanta: a man, 33, found shot dead behind the wheel of a gray SUV at the Villages at Castleberry Hill on McDaniel Street near Northside Drive around 1:30 a.m. Friday; police say he was killed in an attempted robbery, possibly two suspects, no arrests, not yet identified  ◆  DeKalb County: GSP charges 18-year-old Jakori Cope with violating the Move Over law and following too closely after an accident in an active work zone on I-20 eastbound near Panola Road in Lithonia; a Greene County deputy and a 42-year-old man were hospitalized, and all eastbound lanes reopened just after 6 a.m.  ◆  Clayton County: Delta Flight 1518 to Raleigh RETURNED to Hartsfield-Jackson on Thursday night after right engine trouble; the Boeing 737-900 took off at 7:42 p.m., landed back at 8:10 p.m. and nobody was reported hurt  ◆  Chatham County: Georgia Southern LIFTED the Armstrong campus shelter-in-place in Savannah at about 7:50 p.m. Thursday, saying no known imminent threat remains after an armed robbery reported near Mercy Boulevard and Abercorn Street  ◆  Laurens County: Dublin boil water advisory LIFTED as of 5:36 p.m. Thursday after testing cleared the water system; normal use may resume, with higher chlorine possible during flushing; West Laurens Middle School returns to its regular schedule Friday  ◆  Chatham County: police are searching for Ronald Sapp Jr., 52, last seen July 30 in the woods off Bradley Boulevard and Ogeechee Road; police said he has medical concerns and believe he does not have his prescribed medication, and appealed to the public for help on Thursday  ◆  Cobb County: I-20 westbound REOPENED in Austell just before 8 p.m. Thursday, about three hours after an accident between Riverside Parkway and Thornton Road that seriously injured at least one person  ◆  Cherokee County: a stabbing in the parking lot of the Chick-fil-A on Highway 92 near I-75 in Acworth sent a mother to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital on Thursday afternoon; her daughter was stopped in Whitfield County about an hour and 15 minutes later, two children in the car were not hurt, and the restaurant is temporarily closed  ◆  Dodge County: a tractor-combine, a box truck and a log truck collided on U.S. Highway 280 near State Route 87 around 12:45 p.m. Thursday, closing every lane for hours; no one was injured and all lanes reopened around 3:20 p.m., with the Georgia State Patrol investigating  ◆  Troup County: I-85 northbound FULLY REOPENED at SR 219 after a tractor-trailer fire; both lanes were shut from 2:57 p.m., the left lane reopened about 5:45 p.m. and GDOT’s 8:28 p.m. update shows no lanes blocked  ◆  Buford: a walk-behind floor cleaner accidentally started a small fire in a janitorial closet behind Victoria's Secret and GNC at the Mall of Georgia; sprinklers put it out before crews arrived and no injuries were reported  ◆  Gwinnett County: the man shot to death at the Woodland Grove Townhomes off Lawrenceville Highway has been identified as Ty'shawn Frank, 29, and Loren Tademy, 28, has been arrested in Savannah and charged with felony murder  ◆  Houston County: metal detection systems are coming to every middle and high school in the Houston County School District, plus stadiums and competition gyms, with a security guard added at each school and at the Houston College & Career Academy; delivery is expected in four to eight weeks and hiring starts in September  ◆  Cobb & Fulton: the two right lanes of I-285 between Hollowell Parkway (exit 12) and South Cobb Drive (exit 15) were closed from 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21 to 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 24  ◆  Lee County: the farm tractor driver killed by a Norfolk Southern train at the Goodwin Road crossing near U.S. Highway 19 has been identified as Jose Aguilar, 38, of Montezuma; the Georgia State Patrol investigation is active and its findings are preliminary  ◆  Hephzibah: a parent with a weapon was detained in the Hephzibah High School parking lot Thursday; no students or staff were hurt and normal school operations were not disrupted, the principal told families  ◆  Worth County: Worth County High School in Sylvester released students at 1 p.m. Thursday after a message referencing a possible bomb threat was found written on a bathroom wall; a law enforcement search of the school reportedly turned up no explosive devices and all Worth County schools are on a normal schedule Friday, with Sylvester police handling the case  ◆  Athens-Clarke County: a car and a Clarke County Schools bus collided on the Athens Perimeter outer loop at about 7:15 a.m. Thursday; children were aboard and none were reported injured, and the car's driver was taken to the hospital  ◆  DeKalb County: Moreland Avenue and the exits from I-285 onto it reopened about 3:30 p.m. Thursday, roughly six hours after an overturned truck spilled about 300 gallons of hydrogen peroxide at Thurman Drive; fire crews contained the leak at 12:45 p.m. and no injuries were reported  ◆  Sumter County: one dead and one airlifted after a head-on accident on Highway 19 South near Highway 308 and Three Bridges Road; the northbound lanes were closed and traffic rerouted onto Highway 308 while deputies worked the scene  ◆  Troup County: all lanes of I-185 southbound were closed at South Thompson Road from 7:46 a.m.; GDOT dropped the event from 511's active list just after 9 a.m., about 46 minutes before its own anticipated end time  ◆  DeKalb County: Bouldercrest Road has reopened at Clifton Church Road after a Honda Accord hit a power pole just before 6 a.m.; the driver ran from the scene and more than 530 Georgia Power customers lost power  ◆  Augusta: David Mosley, 65, charged with murder in the shooting death of Otis Keith Pearce, 33, on the 3500 block of Rushing Road; Richmond County deputies arrested him at the scene; charged, not convicted  ◆  DeKalb County: the two young children who left with their father after a domestic dispute at Parkway Grand on Woodberry Place have been RETURNED SAFELY to their mother; Jakarii Eason is still wanted on warrants from an EARLIER incident, and police say those charges are not related to Wednesday night  ◆  Atlanta: gunfire hits apartments and cars at the Village of Castleberry Hills on McDaniel Street near Northside Drive in southwest Atlanta; police say no injuries reported; no suspect information released, no arrests  ◆  Camden County: all I-95 southbound lanes closed at Harrietts Bluff Road after a vehicle fire; GDOT pushes its estimated reopening from 8:09 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.; northbound open with a smoke hazard in the left lane  ◆  Troup County: LaGrange police say a 16-year-old student was taken into custody at LaGrange Academy on Vernon Road after a reported threat to shoot students; no weapon found, no charges announced  ◆  Laurens County: Dublin City Schools and West Laurens Middle School closed Thursday, Aug. 20, a second straight day, with the Joiner Street boil water advisory still in effect; city manager says it will likely hold at least until 2 p.m. Thursday; all other Laurens County schools open  ◆  Coweta County: Isaiah Phillips, 30, arrested in Fayetteville and charged with sexual battery, battery and false imprisonment over the Travis Street attack near downtown Senoia; charged, not convicted  ◆  Effingham County: Rincon police say Bryan Fox, 57, was tased and taken into custody after a baseball bat disturbance and a small apartment fire on Towne Park West Drive; not charged, felony charges pending  ◆  Barrow County: Brandon Scroggins, 39, of Abilene, Texas, charged over alleged threats to Judge Nicholas Primm and the Barrow County District Attorney's Office in Winder; charged, not convicted  ◆  Laurens County: Dublin stays under a boil water advisory after the 16-inch Joiner Street main break is repaired; Dublin City Schools, West Laurens Middle School and the OFTC Dublin campus closed Wednesday, City Hall reopens at noon  ◆  Richmond County: coroner identifies Deputy Phillip Wasson, 49, and Heather Michelle Lanier, 57, both of Augusta, as the two killed in the Washington Road accident; Sheriff Eugene Brantley issues a statement; all lanes reopened around 10:15 a.m.  ◆  Dougherty County: bicyclist, 40, killed in accident in the 600 block of North Westover Boulevard in Albany; APD traffic unit investigating  ◆  Bibb County: Charles Anthony Palmer, 29, of Ocala, Florida, killed by an 18-wheeler while crossing I-475 southbound near Zebulon Road in Macon, BSO says; blocked lanes have cleared  ◆  Clayton County: Eric André and Clayton English settle their jet bridge lawsuit against Clayton County police at Hartsfield-Jackson; the county admits no fault and says the program has ended  ◆  Cobb County: Stone Mountain man arrested in Smyrna is charged in the Greg Biffle home burglary, the Iredell County sheriff says  ◆  Union County: Charles Hosch memorial service set for Sept. 19 after the Blood Mountain search ended without him being found  ◆  Atlanta: Mayor Andre Dickens asks the City Council to begin condemnation on five blighted Westside properties  ◆  Lee County: Smit Patel charged with 22 counts of sexual exploitation of children after a July 28 cybertip, LCSO says  ◆  Sparta: GBI seeks Stephen Russell Ellis, 62, wanted on two warrants, last seen near Island Creek Church Road  ◆  Clayton County: I-675 lanes reopen after an SUV fire near Anvil Block Road; no injuries reported  ◆  Fulton County: temporary 2026 property tax bills mailed Aug. 15 under a court order; Alpharetta, Milton and Roswell excluded  ◆  Southwest Atlanta: renters at Gateway South Apartments say an 8-inch gap split their living room floor open  ◆  Metro Atlanta: DPH confirms measles in an unvaccinated resident, the seventh Georgia case of 2026  ◆  Bulloch County: grass fire burns about half a mile of the I-16 West median near State Route 67 at mile marker 125.8  ◆  Jones County: deputies searching for Carl Caruthers, 61, last seen in the Fox Road area, possibly on a black Honda Shadow  ◆  Fulton County: Kenneth Spruill, wanted out of Tennessee, arrested in Hapeville  ◆  DeKalb County: Tehutihotep Hartley, 26, of Decatur, found unresponsive at the DeKalb County Jail  ◆  Fulton County: Eric Gordon of Decatur indicted on a trafficking charge after Operation “Global Chain”  ◆  Chatham County: Human remains found at East President Street and Wahlstrom Road construction site, work halted  ◆  Chatham County: Largo Drive shooting in Savannah leaves one man seriously hurt; Georgia Southern shelter in place  ◆  I-285: GDOT called off the full weekend shutdown between Cascade Road and Langford Parkway in southwest Fulton over expected weather. The two left lanes each direction were scheduled to close 9 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 31; that window has passed. No new date for the full closure.  ◆  DeKalb County: seventh mosquito trap of 2026 tests positive for West Nile virus, in ZIP code 30329  ◆  Jones County: deputies searching for John Rouse, 65, last seen near Pinetree Drive and Joycliff Road  ◆  Chatham County: Jimmy DeLoach Parkway southbound closed at Morgan Lakes Industrial Boulevard after a steel spill  ◆  DeKalb County: student fight and pepper spray at Eagle Woods Academy, officer needed an EpiPen  ◆  Metro Atlanta: tree down on Abner Place, lines down on Browns Mill Road, Cagle Road closed  ◆  DeKalb County: woman killed on I-285 while directing traffic around an earlier accident  ◆  Monroe County: two I-75 southbound lanes out near exits 187-189, Aug. 21-31  ◆  Decatur: Beacon Hill Middle goes virtual after HVAC failure left classrooms in the 90s  ◆  Laurens County: Kemp suspends all seven Dublin city school board members  ◆  Hall County driver cited for DUI after a minivan struck a bus carrying 28 students  ◆  Monroe County water main break cuts service on Collier, Smith and Orchard Ridge  ◆  Gwinnett County mother charged in son's hot car death due in court for a bond hearing  ◆  Paulding County becomes the third county to charge Bobby Lee Hart Jr.  ◆  Henry County Atlanta police K9 Stano found safe in a Hampton swimming pool  ◆  Conyers arrest in the Dogwood Drive hit-and-run that killed Andrea Cantrell, 43  ◆  Atlanta Officer DeVante Matthews shot in Oakland City, Michael Gates in custody  ◆  Marietta Dairon Keith indicted on eight counts including malice murder in the death of Messiah Harris, 2  ◆  Houston County deputy suspended without pay over Flock plate-reader misuse  ◆  Macon Caleb Hendrix sentenced to 15 years in Riggins Mill Road accident that killed Michael Burnett  ◆  Cobb County Albany NY police employee denied bail on child molestation charges  ◆  Hart County body recovered from Lake Hartwell two months after David Seymour vanished  ◆  Sparta five shot at Hancock County party, one critical  ◆  Atlanta Amber Alert sisters found safe; babysitter Lakesha Brown charged with kidnapping  ◆  Gwinnett County seven plead guilty to racketeering over 492 vehicle break-ins  ◆  Atlanta Davion Curney charged in the death of Cameron Boone, 13  ◆  Alpharetta Drive Planning CEO Todd Burkhalter sentenced to 20 years in Ponzi scheme  ◆  Covington Destinee Riggins arrested after officer dragged on Highway 142  ◆  Barrow County Apalachee shooter Colt Gray sentenced to life without parole  ◆  Decatur son charged with murder after father found shot to death on Pepperdine Drive  ◆  Coweta County former school resource officer indicted on child molestation charges  ◆  Hall County Cherokee Bluff High cleared after bomb threat, no device found  ◆  Paulding County coroner orders inquest into Heather Turner's 2017 death  ◆  Jackson County all schools closed Friday after overnight bomb threats  ◆  DeKalb County missing 9-year-old Eli found safe  ◆  Douglasville driver charged in prom night accident that killed Patience Price, 18  ◆  Stone Mountain search continues for Sherry Wages, 72, missing since June  ◆  Trenton NY mother and 2 children found living in a shed; extradition pending  ◆  Athens Maxton Ball, 9, killed on Lexington Road at Whit Davis Road  ◆  Troup County Dakota Fuller charged with arson after Jim Turner Road fire  ◆  Waynesboro new judge assigned in ousted sheriff case  ◆  Valdosta 559.4 lbs of marijuana seized in i-75 traffic stop  ◆  Albany apd searching for 2 armed robbery suspects  ◆  Fulton County jail escapee Demetrius Burkes back in custody after downtown search  ◆  Floyd County William Roger Caver charged with felony murder in the death of Christopher D. Freeland  ◆  MARTA service shut at Medical Center station after a man walked onto the tracks  ◆  Milledgeville two sentenced in a federal methamphetamine trafficking case  ◆  Macon woman, 42, dies after being struck by a van on Houston Avenue  ◆  DeKalb County two separate shootings minutes apart, one person dead  ◆  Lawrenceville nine years in federal prison for Gabriel Ojeda Murguia in a fentanyl case  ◆  Smyrna bond denied for a former Ridgeview Institute employee charged in an assault on a patient  ◆  Washington County three arrested in a prison contraband-drop investigation  ◆  Savannah mayor and DA respond after a Daffin Park suspect's arrest history  ◆  Macon Torey Burnette sentenced to life with parole in the death of Zyshown Dunn  ◆  East Point human skull found in the woods; remains unidentified  ◆  McDuffie County Mateo Santos Pinkston held on a murder charge  ◆  Augusta testimony continues in the murder trial over the death of Arbrie Anthony, 8  ◆  Albany murder trial opens for Shaquille Mathis in the 2020 killing of Jawaski Kennedy  ◆  Sparta GBI seeking information on George Wayne Pailloz Jr., 55, missing since late July  ◆  Savannah Charles Teeple sentenced in the 2019 New Year's Eve death of Bruce Helmly  ◆  Dublin state board recommends suspending the city school board; nobody is suspended, Kemp decides  ◆  Cartersville three men indicted on federal forced-labor charges  ◆  Tifton two women charged with aggravated battery in Crescent Ridge attack  ◆  DeKalb County arrests announced over I-285 street takeover near Glenwood Road  ◆  Cornelia family escapes Waterwheel Court house fire during overnight storms  ◆  Gilmer County fallen tree blocked crews reaching a house fire on Highway 382  ◆  SR 316 right-lane closures at Jimmy Daniell Road Thursday and Friday nights  ◆  Vidalia Savannah man charged with murder in the July 4 death of Rashad Lumpkin  ◆  Savannah bond denied for all five charged in Fellwood Homes shooting  ◆  Glynn County sheriff's office defends its release of a veteran with dementia  ◆  Clayton County person shot after encounter between drivers near Highway 138  ◆  Downtown Atlanta man shot near Hurt Plaza in early-morning dispute  ◆  Marietta Dairon Keith indicted on murder charges in the death of Messiah Harris, 2  ◆  McDuffie County Tangla Brown, 48, killed in Old Milledgeville Road accident  ◆  Gainesville Obed Reyes charged in apartment break-in and assault of a teenager  ◆  Albany man found dead at Country Place Apartments  ◆  Albany two killed when van left Wildfair Road and struck a tree  ◆  Barrow County school bus accident on Highway 211, six students taken to a hospital  ◆  Paulding County former Dallas 911 director charged over Flock camera misuse  ◆  Albany structure fire on West Gordon Avenue, no injuries reported  ◆  Savannah man shot in the leg in the 1900 block of Pendleton Street  ◆  Atlanta man killed on I-85 South near Metropolitan Parkway  ◆  Fulton County: I-285 was fully closed both directions between Cascade Road and MLK Jr. Drive over the weekend of Aug. 15-17; the road reopened as scheduled  ◆  Douglas County fourth arrest in Dog River Reservoir death of Jamal Parker  ◆  Warner Robins 14-year-old denied bond in high school shooting case  ◆  Macon woman's body found outside abandoned building on Second Street  ◆  Lithonia Ricardo Fallen, 20, killed in DeKalb County apartment shooting  ◆  Southwest Atlanta Cascade Avenue closed after tree downs power lines and traffic signal  ◆  Buford bystander shot outside Mall of Georgia venue; Jalyn Watkins, 22, charged  ◆  Columbus police search for Keith Teague, 57, missing since July 28  ◆  Warner Robins apartment fire damages eight units, displaces 15 at Village North  ◆  Conyers AutoZone employee shot in the leg; co-worker charged with reckless conduct  ◆  Lamar County Keith Odel, 26, arrested after driver shot at on Lamar County Line Road  ◆  Jonesboro Joshua Scott, 27, killed in Dixon Road shooting; one detained  ◆  Smyrna student arrested after weapon recovered at Campbell Middle School  ◆  Ellenwood Joanne Howell, 70, recovered from Misty Lake after Mattie's Call  ◆  DeKalb County 16-year-old arrested in Rockcliff Road sleepover shooting  ◆  Lawrenceville Camp Perrin Road house fire ruled arson, six adults displaced  ◆  Newnan girl, 14, escapes Highway 154 standoff; man charged  ◆  I-75 Atlanta Akil Lateef Mayer, 34, killed running across the interstate  ◆  Atlanta 85-year-old woman shot on her own porch on Browns Mill Road  ◆  Hazlehurst Terrance McCoy, 16, killed; 2 teens charged with murder  ◆  Vine City Demazio Skelton Jr., 35, killed; Naim Smith, 19, charged with murder  ◆  Marietta scooter rider critically hurt on Powder Springs Road  ◆  Whitfield County tractor-trailer overturns on I-75 near Dalton, SUV driver cited  ◆  Macon 4 hurt in I-75 accident at Eisenhower Parkway, driver fatigue cited  ◆  Atlanta man killed by Norfolk Southern train on Murphy Avenue  ◆  Troup County Ked Hall, 55, of LaGrange killed in Hines Road accident  ◆  Cartersville Connor Smith, 27, killed in Highway 20 motorcycle accident  ◆  Adairsville Ratanza Winters-Gardner, 34, killed; driver charged with vehicular homicide  ◆  Cartersville Brian McLaughlin, 57, killed crossing Highway 41 at Grassdale Road  ◆  Lake Allatoona all 5 aboard ejected in boat accident, no deaths reported  ◆  Macon 3 former Bibb County deputies charged over Flock camera searches  ◆  Bartow County 3 dead in 3 days on Highway 20 and Joe Frank Harris Parkway  ◆  Burke County 4 killed at two scenes, suspect shot dead by deputies  ◆  Albany school bus driver cited after Liberty Expressway accident  ◆  Columbia County 14-year-old killed on I-20 at mile marker 187  ◆  Cobb County Marietta man, 81, killed in Barrett Parkway accident  ◆  Rockdale County lockdowns lifted at two high schools, person in custody  ◆  Pulaski County Fred Hitchcock, 75, killed on Eastman Highway near Hawkinsville  ◆  Dooly County 1 killed on Highway 27 after a deer strike near Vienna  ◆  Cartersville Marcus Maurice Williams, 31, killed by Bartow County deputy  ◆  I-85 NB reopened at mile marker 136 after fatal 5-vehicle accident  ◆  Bulloch County Statesboro woman killed on Old River Road  ◆  North Georgia 2 critically injured in plane accident, NTSB investigating  ◆ 
The Local Alert
Tuesday, August 11, 2026
Atlanta, Georgia

Georgia · Bartow County · Officer-Involved

Grassdale Suites Shooting, Cartersville GA: Marcus Maurice Williams Killed by Bartow County Deputy After Gun Pulled at McDonald's

A call about a man pointing a gun at a McDonald's employee ended in gunfire in the courtyard of the extended-stay motel next door. The GBI has now named the man who died, and has taken over the investigation.

By Published Aug. 11, 2026, 9:10 a.m. ET · Updated 7:45 p.m. ET 9 min read 1 dead

Key facts

What
A Bartow County deputy-involved shooting killed one man after deputies were called about a gun pointed at a McDonald's employee
Where
The call came from the McDonald's at 1370 Joe Frank Harris Parkway SE, Cartersville. The GBI places the shooting in a nearby parking lot; WSB-TV reported the gunfire happened in the courtyard of the Grassdale Suites, the extended-stay motel next door
When
Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026 — deputies dispatched about 6:30 a.m., per the GBI; gunfire around 6:45 a.m., per WSB-TV
Killed
Marcus Maurice Williams, 31, of Cartersville, named by the GBI. He was taken to a hospital, where he later died
Deputy
No deputies were injured, according to the GBI. Witnesses told WSB-TV they think the deputy was hit in the shoulder or vest — the two accounts conflict
Responding
Bartow County Sheriff's Office — not Cartersville Police
Investigating
Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Region 1 (Calhoun)
Reviewing
Cherokee Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office, once the GBI file is complete
Charges
None announced against anyone
What's in this report

What happened at the Grassdale Suites in Cartersville?

A man was shot by a Bartow County sheriff's deputy in Cartersville early Tuesday and later died at a hospital. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has the case.

According to the GBI's press release, deputies were dispatched about 6:30 a.m. on Aug. 11, 2026 to the McDonald's at 1370 Joe Frank Harris Parkway SE in Cartersville, after a report of a man pointing a gun at a McDonald's employee.

A deputy found the man in a nearby parking lot, still holding a gun, the GBI said.

WSB-TV placed the gunfire more precisely: Bullets were flying in the courtyard of the extended stay motel around 6:45 a.m., the station reported, identifying the motel as the Grassdale Suites. FOX 5 Atlanta reported that police tape was placed around the nearby Grassdale Suites, located right next to the McDonald's.

The GBI says the man was taken to an area hospital, where he later died. No deputies were injured during the incident, the GBI said — an account that witnesses on scene dispute.

Who was Marcus Maurice Williams?

The GBI identified the man who died as Marcus Maurice Williams, age 31, of Cartersville, GA.

That is the whole of what any agency has released about him. No agency has published his occupation, his family, whether he was staying at the Grassdale Suites, or whether he had any prior contact with the Bartow County Sheriff's Office.

The same identification appeared in Atlanta News First — The deputy wasn't injured, while the suspect, 31-year-old Marcus Maurice Williams, died — and in FOX 5 Atlanta, which reported that investigators said 31-year-old Marcus Maurice Williams died after shooting at a deputy in a parking lot. Cartersville's own Daily Tribune News carried the GBI's identification word for word.

Williams is dead and cannot answer what the GBI has said he did. Every description of his actions here is the GBI's preliminary account, attributed to the GBI, and it has not been tested anywhere.

Is his name spelled Marcus or Markus?

The GBI press release spells it Marcus Maurice Williams, and Atlanta News First, FOX 5 Atlanta and the Daily Tribune News use that spelling. WRGA in Rome spells it Markus. The Local Alert uses the GBI spelling, because the GBI issued the identification.

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Where is the Grassdale Suites, and where is the McDonald's?

The Grassdale Suites is an extended-stay motel in Cartersville, on the southeast side of town. FOX 5 Atlanta described it as sitting right next to the McDonald's at 1370 Joe Frank Harris Parkway SE, the address the GBI gave for the original call.

The call came from the restaurant. The shooting happened next door.

What does the GBI say the deputy did?

The GBI's release gives a short preliminary sequence. In the bureau's words, the deputy gave Williams verbal commands, Williams refused to comply, Williams then pointed the gun and shot at the deputy, and the deputy returned fire, shooting Williams.

The GBI labels that preliminary information. Preliminary accounts in officer-involved shootings are routinely revised once video, ballistics and interviews are in.

It is an account of a dead man's conduct given by the agency reviewing the shooting. Williams cannot dispute it, and no court, grand jury or district attorney has evaluated it.

A witness account collected by FOX 5 Atlanta broadly tracks the GBI sequence: the witness said the officer told the man to put his hands up before the two exchanged shots.

No agency has said how many shots the deputy fired, or how many Williams fired, if any.

Was the Bartow County deputy shot?

The GBI's Aug. 11 release says no deputies were injured during the incident. Atlanta News First reported the same statement, attributing it to the GBI.

WSB-TV reported that the sheriff's office has not confirmed yet if their deputy was shot, and that witnesses told the station they think the deputy was hit in the shoulder or vest and that a fellow deputy drove him to the hospital. FOX 5 Atlanta listed the deputy's condition among the unresolved points, writing that it remains unconfirmed by official sources whether the deputy was injured.

The GBI statement is the official one. The Bartow County Sheriff's Office has issued no statement either way.

What were investigators seen doing in the courtyard?

Two named outlets described the scene itself.

Atlanta News First reported that nearly a dozen evidence markers surrounded a Bartow County sheriff's patrol vehicle that had a bullet hole in the driver's side door.

WSB-TV reported that investigators with the GBI collected shell casings and other evidence on Tuesday in the courtyard of the Grassdale Suites.

No agency has said who fired first, from where, or how many rounds were fired, and none has released a diagram, a body-camera clip or a ballistics finding.

Where did Marcus Maurice Williams die?

Williams died at a hospital, not at the scene. The GBI says he was taken to an area hospital, where he later died. Atlanta News First reported the same.

Early Tuesday coverage was less clear, because the death was confirmed before the location was. Bartow County Coroner Joel Guyton confirmed the man had died in an afternoon update to WSB-TV, at a point when no agency had yet released a name or said where he was pronounced. The GBI release is the later account.

Why is the GBI investigating a Bartow County deputy?

Because the sheriff's office asked it to. The GBI release opens by saying its agents are investigating at the request of the Bartow County Sheriff's Office.

Georgia agencies routinely hand off a shooting involving one of their own officers so the inquiry is independent.

Which GBI office has the case?

Bartow County is covered by the GBI Region 1 Investigative Office in Calhoun, listed at 1 McDaniel Station Rd SW, Calhoun, GA 30701, phone (706) 624-1424.

Region 1 covers 12 northwest Georgia counties: Bartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Floyd, Gordon, Haralson, Murray, Paulding, Polk, Walker and Whitfield.

How does a GBI officer-involved shooting investigation work?

The six stages of a GBI officer-involved shooting case
1
The request and the handoff
Within hours. The local agency asks the GBI to take the shooting. This happened Tuesday morning in Cartersville.
2
Scene processing
Same day. Physical evidence, vehicle damage, body-camera and surveillance video, witness canvass. This is the stage the Grassdale Suites courtyard was in Tuesday.
3
Autopsy and identification
Days. The GBI Medical Examiner's Office performs the autopsy. A name is normally released after next of kin are notified — here, that came the same day.
4
Interviews and lab work
Weeks to months. Firearms examination, toxicology, deputy and witness statements. Publicly, this is the quiet stretch.
5
File goes to the district attorney
Here, the Cherokee Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office. The GBI hands over the completed case file and makes no recommendation on charges.
6
Prosecutor's decision
The district attorney declines to charge, or presents the case to a grand jury. This is when the file typically becomes public.

Stages 1, 5 and 6 follow the GBI's own stated process in its Aug. 11 release. The intervening timings are typical of Georgia officer-involved shooting cases and are not promised in this one.

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Who decides whether the shooting was justified?

Not the GBI. The bureau's release says it will conduct an independent investigation, and that once complete, the case file will be given to the Cherokee Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office for review.

Bartow County sits in the Cherokee Judicial Circuit. That prosecutor's office is where the decision about the deputy's conduct will be made, and it is the office whose eventual announcement will make the investigative file public.

How often does the GBI investigate shootings like this?

Often enough that the agency keeps a public running log of every case.

The GBI investigated 112 officer-involved shootings in 2022 and 102 in 2023, of which 48 were fatal. Its published logs list 85 cases in 2024 and 83 in 2025. The 2026 log listed 50 cases through July 27, 2026.

GBI officer-involved shooting investigations per year
0 40 80 120 112 2022 102 2023 85 2024 83 2025 50 2026 through Jul 27

Sources: the GBI's published 2026 and 2025 officer-involved shooting logs, and GBI year-end figures for 2022 and 2023 as reported by WUGA. The 2026 bar is a partial year and is not comparable to the full years beside it.

Have there been other Bartow County cases in 2026?

Tuesday's shooting is not this county's first of the year. The GBI's own 2026 log lists two earlier Bartow County entries, both fatal.

Bartow County entries in the GBI's 2026 log

March 18, 2026
Days Inn Motel, Cartersville — Bartow County Sheriff's Office. The GBI log names Justin Eric Hardin, 45. Listed as fatal
April 23, 2026
Adairsville — Adairsville Police Department, not the sheriff's office. The GBI log names Saeed Ahmed Reed, 26. Listed as fatal
Aug. 11, 2026
Cartersville — Bartow County Sheriff's Office. Marcus Maurice Williams, 31, per the GBI's release

By the GBI's public record, this is the third officer-involved shooting in Bartow County the bureau has been asked to investigate in 2026, and the second involving the sheriff's office specifically. Each remains a separate case; nothing in the GBI's material connects them.

What does Georgia open records law allow?

Body-camera video and the incident report in this case are tied to a pending investigation.

Georgia's Open Records Act, at O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72, is the section listing when public disclosure is not required. It is the provision agencies rely on to withhold records tied to a pending law enforcement investigation or prosecution. While the GBI file is open and the district attorney has not acted, that is the usual answer to a request for the investigative material.

A separate section, O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, governs the right of access, response timing and fees. It is the one that lets an agency charge for search, retrieval, redaction and copying, requires notice within three business days when the estimated cost will exceed $25, and allows an agency to require prepayment when the estimate tops $500.

Records tied to an open case may lawfully be withheld until the district attorney announces a decision.

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What we don't know yet

  • The deputy's name, rank and years of service
  • Whether the deputy was struck — the GBI says no deputies were injured; witnesses told WSB-TV otherwise
  • How many rounds were fired, by the deputy or by Williams
  • How the bullet hole reached the patrol car's driver's side door
  • Which hospital Williams was taken to, and when he was pronounced
  • Whether the deputy has been placed on administrative leave
  • Whether body-camera or motel surveillance video exists, and when any of it may be released
  • Whether Williams was staying at the Grassdale Suites or had any connection to it
Update log
  • 7:45 p.m. Aug. 11 — The GBI issued its press release identifying Marcus Maurice Williams, 31, of Cartersville, and giving its preliminary account. Three corrections followed from it: Williams died at a hospital, not at the scene; the statement that no deputies were injured comes from the GBI, not the sheriff's office; and the case file goes to the Cherokee Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office. Added the spelling comparison after finding one outlet using Markus.
  • 5:20 p.m. Aug. 11 — Added GBI Region 1 jurisdiction detail, the GBI's annual investigation counts, and the two earlier 2026 Bartow County cases.
  • 1:40 p.m. Aug. 11 — Bartow County Coroner Joel Guyton confirmed to WSB-TV that the man had died. Added the conflicting accounts of whether the deputy was struck.
  • 9:10 a.m. Aug. 11 — First version compiled. A deputy-involved shooting was confirmed and the GBI was en route.

Who takes witness information?

The GBI has the case. Bartow County is served by the GBI Region 1 Investigative Office in Calhoun, listed at (706) 624-1424.

Frequently asked questions

Who was killed in the Grassdale Suites shooting in Cartersville?
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation identified him as Marcus Maurice Williams, age 31, of Cartersville, GA. Atlanta News First, FOX 5 Atlanta and the Daily Tribune News in Cartersville published the same name.

Is his name spelled Marcus or Markus?
The GBI, which is conducting the investigation and released the name, spells it Marcus Maurice Williams. Atlanta News First, FOX 5 Atlanta and the Daily Tribune News use the same spelling. One outlet, WRGA in Rome, spells it Markus. The Local Alert uses the GBI spelling because the GBI is the agency that issued the identification.

Where did the Cartersville deputy-involved shooting happen?
The call came from the McDonald's at 1370 Joe Frank Harris Parkway SE in Cartersville. The GBI says the deputy found the man in a nearby parking lot. WSB-TV reported the gunfire happened in the courtyard of the Grassdale Suites, an extended-stay motel. FOX 5 Atlanta reported police tape was placed around the Grassdale Suites, which it described as located right next to the McDonald's.

What time did the shooting happen?
The GBI says deputies were dispatched about 6:30 a.m. on August 11, 2026. WSB-TV reported the gunfire in the motel courtyard happened around 6:45 a.m.

Did Marcus Maurice Williams shoot at the deputy?
That is the GBI account, and it is preliminary. The GBI says the deputy gave Williams verbal commands, Williams refused to comply, Williams then pointed the gun and shot at the deputy, and the deputy returned fire. Williams died and cannot answer that account. No independent finding has been made, and the GBI has not said how many shots were fired by anyone.

Was the Bartow County deputy shot?
The accounts do not agree. The GBI says no deputies were injured during the incident, and Atlanta News First reported that statement as coming from the GBI. WSB-TV reported that the sheriff's office had not confirmed whether its deputy was shot, and that witnesses told the station they think he was hit in the shoulder or vest and that a fellow deputy drove him to the hospital. The GBI statement is the official one; the witness accounts have not been confirmed by any agency.

Where did Marcus Maurice Williams die?
At a hospital, not at the scene. The GBI says Williams was taken to an area hospital, where he later died. Atlanta News First reported the same. Bartow County Coroner Joel Guyton confirmed the death to WSB-TV in an afternoon update.

Why is the GBI investigating instead of the Bartow County Sheriff's Office?
Because the sheriff's office asked it to. The GBI release opens by saying its agents are investigating at the request of the Bartow County Sheriff's Office. Georgia agencies routinely hand off any shooting involving one of their own officers so the inquiry is independent.

Which GBI office is handling the Cartersville investigation?
Bartow County is covered by the GBI Region 1 Investigative Office at 1 McDaniel Station Rd SW, Calhoun, GA 30701, listed at (706) 624-1424. Region 1 covers 12 counties: Bartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Floyd, Gordon, Haralson, Murray, Paulding, Polk, Walker and Whitfield.

Which district attorney will review the case?
The GBI says it will conduct an independent investigation and that once complete, the case file will be given to the Cherokee Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office for review. The GBI does not decide whether a shooting was justified.

Has anyone been charged in the Cartersville deputy-involved shooting?
No. No charges have been announced against anyone. Marcus Maurice Williams died without being charged, so the allegations described by the GBI were never tested in court. No finding has been made about the deputy's actions either. Anyone accused of a crime is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Is the deputy on administrative leave?
The Bartow County Sheriff's Office has not said publicly, and the deputy has not been named. Administrative leave is common practice in Georgia while a GBI review is pending, but it has not been confirmed in this case.

How many officer-involved shootings does the GBI investigate each year?
The GBI investigated 112 in 2022 and 102 in 2023, of which 48 were fatal. Its published logs list 85 cases in 2024 and 83 in 2025. The 2026 log listed 50 cases through July 27, 2026.

Have there been other officer-involved shootings in Bartow County in 2026?
Yes, two others in the GBI's own 2026 log. One on March 18, 2026 at a Days Inn motel in Cartersville involving the Bartow County Sheriff's Office, in which the GBI log names Justin Eric Hardin, 45. One on April 23, 2026 involving Adairsville Police, in which the log names Saeed Ahmed Reed, 26. Both are listed as fatal.

When will the GBI release its findings?
There is no fixed deadline. GBI officer-involved shooting investigations commonly take months, and the findings usually become public only when the district attorney announces a decision.

How do I report what I saw at the Grassdale Suites?
Contact the GBI Region 1 Investigative Office in Calhoun at (706) 624-1424.

Sources

About this report

Compiled by The Local Alert Georgia Staff from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's own press release, GBI publications and named news outlets, each linked above. The Local Alert is not a law enforcement agency and not a law firm. Marcus Maurice Williams died without being charged with anything, and the account of his conduct here is the GBI's preliminary account, attributed to the GBI and never tested in court. The deputy has not been named and no finding has been made about the deputy's actions. Anyone named in connection with a crime is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Corrections and removal requests: see our corrections policy.

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