HENRY COUNTY, Ga. – An ongoing search for the gunman accused of murdering four people in Henry County, Georgia on Saturday ended with a gun battle the following day. During the exchange of gunfire, the suspect was fatally shot and three officers were wounded.
A manhunt took place lasting more than 24 hours for 40-year-old Andre Longmore as he managed to evade law enforcement personnel before a standoff tuned into a shooting that left three officers injured and the gunman dead, the Post Millennial reported.
Sheriff Reginald B. Scandrett of the Henry County Sheriff’s Office said law enforcement officers tracked Longmore to an area near Highway 138 and Mt. Zion Parkway in the town of Stockbridge, which is situated about 20 miles southeast of Atlanta. A brief exchange of gunfire occurred before Longmore managed to get away.
However, he was soon relocated and a second gun battle took place as Longmore refused to surrender. This time, the gunman was killed, while a Henry County deputy suffered a gunshot wound in the back and two Clayton County officers also sustained gunshot wounds.
The wounded Henry County deputy was rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital where he is “conscious, breathing, and talking.” Both Clayton County officers were transported to local hospitals for treatment for unspecified injuries.
“The citizens of Hampton, the county of Henry, the metro Atlanta area, and the entire state of Georgia can breathe a little easier tonight,” Scandrett said. “This monster is off of our streets.”
The original homicides occurred along Dogwood Lakes Drive in Hampton early Saturday morning. Longmore, dressed in tactical gear, proceeded to murder Scott Leavitt, 67, Shirley Leavitt, 66, Ronald Jeffers, 66, and Steve Blizzard, 65, FOX5 Atlanta reported.
Law enforcement authorities have not released further information regarding the encounter that led up to the homicides, or a potential motive.
Neighbor Frankie Worth shared his experience with FOX 5.
“I just heard bam, and as soon as I heard it, I knew what it was,” he said. “[Longmore] had on tactical gear, but it was a weird type of gear I’ve never seen before.”
“I thought he was walking in the road and they just so happened to make him angry,” Worth noted. “I thought it was a road rage thing. I was shocked, but what I was really so shocked at is how cool, calm, and collected he was; like it was just regular business.”
