LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (AP) — A man being questioned by police at a suburban Atlanta hotel on Sunday shot the two officers after inviting them into his room, killing one of them and seriously wounding the other, authorities said.
The shooting suspect also was shot by one of the officers and was undergoing medical treatment and expected to survive, Gwinnett County Police Chief J.D. McClure said during a news conference.
The shootout happened Sunday morning near Stone Mountain, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northeast of Atlanta. The officers were dispatched to the hotel after a caller in another state reported someone had fraudulently used their credit card there, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a statement. The agency said the front desk clerk directed the officers to the room of the person who had used the credit card.
McClure said the suspect greeted the officers at the door to his room and invited them inside.
“They began discussing the scenario or the incident with him,” McClure said. “And at some point the suspect produced a handgun and, in an unprovoked attack, fired at our Gwinnett County police officers.”
Officer Pradeep Tamang, 25, was pronounced dead at a hospital, while Officer David Reed is in serious but stable condition.
“This is the latest reminder of the dangers law enforcement face on a daily basis, and we are grateful for every one that puts themselves in harm’s way to protect their fellow Georgians,” Governor Brian Kemp said on the social media platform X.
Kevin Andrews, 35, has been identified as the shooting suspect. It is not known if he has secured an attorney to represent him.
The investigation has been turned over to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which typically handles shootings involving law enforcement officers in the state. Officials stated it will be up to the GBI and local prosecutors to determine the charges against Andrews.
