Georgia shooting – live: McDonald’s manager named as one of three victims killed by Moultrie employee
A McDonald’s manager has been identified as one of the three victims killed by suspected gunman Kentavious White in a shooting spree across three different locations in Moultrie, Georgia, on Thursday.
White, 26, is believed to have shot and killed his 50-year-old mother at her home as well as his 74-year-old grandmother at her home next door in the early hours of the morning.
He then allegedly travelled to the fast food restaurant, where he was an employee, and shot dead his manager 41-year-old Amia Smith.
Surveillance footage, seen by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, captures White arriving at the restaurant and then getting Smith to come to the door. White then allegedly shot Smith before entering the McDonald’s and turning the gun on himself.
The motive behind the incident remains unknown.
A neighbour told The Associated Press that police had been called to the property that White shared with his mother just one day before the shooting spree after the suspect had come outside and fired a gun while shouting.
Key Points
Police have identified Georgia shooter
Four dead in Georgia shooting, coroner says
Coroner offers timeline of Georgia shooting
McDonald’s worker among 4 dead in south Georgia
McDonald’s manager Amia Smith identified as victim
11:50 , Rachel Sharp
A McDonald’s manager has been identified as one of the three victims killed by suspected gunman Kentavious White in a shooting spree across three different locations in Moultrie, Georgia, on Thursday.
White, 26, is believed to have shot and killed his 50-year-old mother at her home as well as his 74-year-old grandmother at her home next door in the early hours of the morning.
He then allegedly travelled to the fast food restaurant, where he was an employee, and shot dead his manager 41-year-old Amia Smith.
Georgia among states with ‘permitless carry’ for guns
11:33 , Stuti Mishra
Georgia is one of a growing number of US states that allow citizens to carry concealed handguns without first needing a license or permit.
Here’s our report on the states adopting this new form of gun ownership, even as mass shootings rage across the country.
Tennessee is among half of US states with permitless concealed carry law
Video: Georgia shooting: Police investigate as multiple people dead after gunman opens fire
10:33 , Stuti Mishra
‘We are devastated’: McDonald’s where shooting took place to remain shut until further notice
09:33 , Stuti Mishra
George Suarez, the owner and operator of the McDonald's in Moultrie, Georgia, where 26-year-old Kentavious White shot 41-year-old Amia Smith who worked as store manager, said the restaurant will remain closed until further notice.
"We are devastated by the loss of our beloved restaurant manager, and our hearts go out to all the victims of this senseless act of violence," Mr Suarez said in a statement provided by McDonald's corporate office in Chicago.
Smith was the in-charge of the morning hours at the outlet, when she opened the door early morning to let White in for his shift.
Security footage from the outlet showed White shot the store manager after she arrived for the door, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said.
Residents mourn the victims of Georgia shooting
08:33 , Stuti Mishra
A mass shooting at Moultrie, Georgia has left four people dead, including the shooter.
Two out of the three women shot were the shooter's mother and grandmother, while the third was the manager of the McDonald's he worked at.
Residents in the area mourned the deaths of the slain women describing them as "amazing people".
"Both them were two of the most amazing people I've had the pleasure of being around," Tanner Strickland told WALB-TV.
"They both light up any room that they walk into. Both of them really have hearts of gold."
Sabrina Holweger, who works at an optometrist's office next to the McDonald's, told the Associated Press that she and a coworker arrived at work before 8am to find a woman's body gunned down and lying in a doorway of the restaurant, with police swarming around.
"It was really just scary not knowing if they had shot themselves," Ms Holweger said.
'Never seen him hurt anybody', neighbours describe Georgia shooter
07:33 , Stuti Mishra
A neighbour of Moultrie shooter Kentavious White has expressed shock and surprise at the 26-year-old's behaviour, adding that he had no prior incident of hurting anyone.
Jerry Goodwin, a man who lived next door to the gunman and his mother and two doors down from the grandmother, told the Associated Press that his wife heard shots fired before 1am on Thursday while he was asleep.
Mr Goodwin said the young man who lives next door had come outside and fired a gun one day earlier in the week while shouting something, and that Moultrie police had responded.
However, it appears police did not respond immediately on Thursday.
Mr Goodwin said police and an ambulance arrived just before 6am, with the ambulance immediately taking one person away. He said the coroner later retrieved two more bodies.
He said he didn't know his neighbours well, although the 26-year-old had come to his house after moving in several years ago to seek advice on installing a fence.
"I had never seen him hurt anybody or try to hurt anybody before this," Mr Goodwin said.
Police have identified Georgia shooter
06:33 , Stuti Mishra
The shooter who opened fire at Moultrie has been identified as 26-year-old Kentavious White by authorities.
Earlier, his identity was withheld from the public as the police was in the process of informing family members of the deceased.
White shot himself yesterday after stepping inside a McDonald's and shooting the outlet manager. He earlier killed two women, his mother and grandmother.
A motive for the shootings is unclear at this time.
McDonald’s worker among 4 dead in south Georgia
05:33 , Stuti Mishra
One of the victims in the shooting in rural south Georgia yesterday has been identified as a McDonald's worker.
The 26-year-old gunman opened fire at his family members, including his 50-year-old mother and 74-year-old grandmother at a McDonald's outlet in Moultrie, Georgia.
Apart from the two women, a third woman was also shot, who is identified as 41-year-old Amia Smith, who worked as the manager of the outlet.
All three women appeared to have been shot multiple times, according to the coroner.
Red America’s deep, quiet struggle with gun violence
04:33 , Josh Marcus
You would think, hearing many prominent Republicans discuss America’s gun violence epidemic, that most shootings only occur in large cities in Democratic states like Los Angeles and New York, proving that gun laws make no difference, or that Black Lives Matter protests had somehow led to an end of effective policing.
According to experts, however, thinking about gun violence like this misses huge parts of the picture. It’s an epidemic that touches rural communities just as much as urban ones, with disproportionate impacts on racial minorities, and contrary to the popular idea, Republican-led states.
In 2020, for example, Republican, largely rural states with low populations — Mississippi, Louisiana, Wyoming, Missouri, Alabama, and Alaska — had the six highest per capita rates of gun deaths. These states also had the highest rates of gun ownership for the same period. In Mississippi, about half of adults live in a household with a gun.
Read our full investigation into the geography of gun violence in American.
GOP says gun violence mostly happens in Democratic cities – the figures disagree
ICYMI: Georgia shooting: Multiple people dead after gunman opens fire at McDonald’s and homes in Moultrie
02:33 , Josh Marcus
A gunman killed a female McDonald’s worker and two relatives before taking his own life in a rural Georgia town.
The shooter, who has not been named, killed his 50-year-old mother and 74-year-old grandmother at two neighbouring homes in the small town of Moultrie, south of Atlanta, Colquitt County Coroner C Verlyn Brock told The Associated Press.
The 26-year-old gunman also killed a 41-year-old McDonald’s manager then killed himself, according to the coroner.
Moultrie police and Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents are reportedly probing the fatal incidents at the fast food restaurant in the town of 15,000 residents as well as at a crime scene on Sixth Street Southwest.
Graeme Massie has the full story.
Multiple people dead after gunman opens fire at McDonald’s and homes in Moultrie
Photo shows police investigating Moultrie shooting
01:33 , Josh Marcus
Police are still investigating a shooting that took place Thursday in Moultrie, Georgia, leaving four people including the gunman dead.
The shooting took place across three locations: two adjoining houses, and a McDonald’s where both the gunman and the final victim reportedly worked.
Police could be seen throughout Thursday blocking off traffic near the scene.
Georgia has among highest gun violence death rate in country
Friday 5 May 2023 00:30 , Josh Marcus
Sadly gun violence in Georgia is nothing new.
The state is among the deadliest for gun violence in the country, according to data.
Georgia ranks 14th in gun violence mortality, according to the CDC, with a death rate of 20.3 deaths per 10,000 people.
Police were previously aware of Moultrie shooter
Friday 5 May 2023 00:07 , Josh Marcus
Thursday’s shooting in Moultrie, Georgia, wasn’t the first time police encoutered the gunman, the Associated Press reports.
Jerry Goodwin, who lived nextdoor to the alleged shooter, said police previously were sent to the man’s home a day earlier when he came outside, shouted something, and fired a gun.
“I had never seen him hurt anybody or try to hurt anybody before this,” Mr Goodwin said.
How Georgia became the center of the public safety debate
Thursday 4 May 2023 23:24 , Josh Marcus
Even before a pair of shootings shock Georgia this week, the state was at the center of the conversation around policing and gun violence, thanks to a controversial $90m police training facility proposal dubbed “Cop City” by critics.
Here’s our full report on the debate.
The fight against Atlanta’s $90m ‘Cop City’ is just getting started
Victim identified in Atlanta shooting
Thursday 4 May 2023 23:21 , Josh Marcus
As police continue to investigate today’s shooting in Moultrie, Georgia, more information is emerging about another recent shooting in the state.
Family members have confirmed that Amy St Pierre, a CDC worker, was fatally shot on Wednesday in mass shooting at an Atlanta medical facility.
Ms St Pierre’s family offered the following statement to The Independent.
“Our beloved Amy was brilliant, kind, big-hearted and simply the ‘best of the best’. An Emory honors graduate and Georgia State MBA, Amy traveled the world with curiosity and courage. She was driven by compassion, both in her work in the field of maternal mortality, and in her everyday life. Amy was selfless always, she wanted more for others but never for herself. Generous supporter of worthy causes, she was the social conscience of our family.”
“Loving wife and mother of two, middle sister to two brothers, and cherished daughter, she was truly our pride and joy. Amy’s friends are the best reflection of the person she was. Their outpouring of tears, love and support are beyond measure.”
“She will be missed but never, ever forgotten.”
They have asked for privacy and said they will not be making further comment.
For more information about Wednesday’s tragedy, follow the latest at our liveblog about the Atlanta shooting.
Nearly 200 mass shootings have happened in 2023
Thursday 4 May 2023 22:29 , Josh Marcus
Thursday’s mass shooting Moultrie, Georgia, was part of a wave of gun violence across the US in 2023.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 192 mass shootings this year, which is more than one such massacre a day.
More details emerge about victims of Georgia shooting
Thursday 4 May 2023 22:10 , Josh Marcus
The outlines of today’s shooting in rural Moultrie, Georgia, are starting to become clearer.
The gunman, whose name has still not been released to the public, is a 26-year-old man, who killed his 50-year-old mother, 74-year-old grandmother, then a 41-year-old McDonald’s worker, before dying by suicide, according to Colquitt County coroner Verlyn Brock.
Police are now seeking additional next of kin as they investigate the shooting, The Moultrie Observer reports.
The gunman shot and killed his family members in a series of neighbouring houses, and lived at the address where his mother was slain.
No threat to public, city official says
Thursday 4 May 2023 21:45 , Josh Marcus
There is no threat to the public following a shooting that left four dead in Moultrie, Georgia, on Thursday, according to city officials.
The gunman was among those who perished in the shooting, police have said.
Moultrie City Manager Pete Dillard told WALB-TV there’s now no danger to the public.
Red America has a gun violence problem
Thursday 4 May 2023 21:30 , Josh Marcus
Despite criticisms that Democrat-run cities are the epicentres of gun violence in America, research shows that red states and rural areas alike have disproportionately high levels of gun violence.
Here’s our report digging deeper into the research.
GOP says gun violence mostly happens in Democratic cities – the figures disagree
Shooting in Moultrie follows Atlanta mass killing and manhunt
Thursday 4 May 2023 21:15 , Josh Marcus
Today’s shooting in Georgia comes on the heels of another mass killing in the state.
On Wednesday, a gunman allegedly killed one person and injured multiple others at a hospital in Atlanta.
Suspect Deion Patterson was later captured following a countywide manhunt.
Everything we know about the Midtown Atlanta mass shooting
Shooter reportedly worked at McDonalds where shooting took place
Thursday 4 May 2023 21:00 , Josh Marcus
A gunman who killed four people, including himself, in rural Georgia on Thursday reportedly worked at a McDonald’s restaurant where one of the victims was killed, according to a local resident.
Sabrina Holweger, who works at an optometrist’s office near one of the shooting scenes, told The Associated Press she believes the gunman worked at a local McDonald’s , and appeared to have shot a manager at the fast food chain when she went to unlock the front door and let him in for an early-morning shift.
Coroner offers timeline of Georgia shooting
Thursday 4 May 2023 20:47 , Josh Marcus
The shooting in Moultrie, Georgia, today took place across multiple locations.
The gunman, as of yet unidentified, shot his mother and grandmother in their homes, Colquitt County coroner C Verlyn Brock told CBS News.
The shooter’s mother died at the scene, while his grandmother, who lived next door, was taken to a local hospital and died there.
After that, the gunman shot the assistant manager of a local McDonalds then killed himself.
Four dead in Georgia shooting, coroner says
Thursday 4 May 2023 20:36 , Josh Marcus
Four people are dead following a shooting in a rural town in Georgia, per local officials.
A gunman killed his mother and grandmother at two neighbouring homes in the town of Moultrie, killed a worker at a local McDonald’s, then died by suicide, the local coroner told The Associated Press.
Breaking news: Gunman at large after opening fire inside McDonald’s causing ‘multiple’ casualties, reports say
Thursday 4 May 2023 20:18 , Josh Marcus
A gunman is at large after opening fire inside a Georgia McDonald’s causing “multiple” casualties, reports say.
Police are investigating the incident which took place in Moultrie, Georgia, around three hours south of Atlanta, and there are multiple crime scenes, according to The Moultrie Observer.
Moultrie police and Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents are probing fatal incidents at Moultrie’s McDonald’s restaurant and a residence on Sixth Street Southwest, reported the newspaper.
Graeme Massie is following the news for The Independent.
Gunman at large after opening fire inside Georgia McDonald’s
Police investigating potential shooting with ‘multiple incidents’ and ‘fatalities'
Thursday 4 May 2023 20:15 , Josh Marcus
Multiple people were killed on Thursday in what’s believed to be a shooting spread across multiple locations in Moultrie, Gerogia.
“We are investigating multiple incidents and there are fatalities involved,” the Georgia Bureau of Investigation told The Moultrie Observer.
One of the crime scenes is at a McDonald’s fast food restaurant, according to the paper.
Another address nearby is also under investigation, according to WALB-TV.
