Atlanta shooting – two people have died following multiple shootings in Midtown Atlanta and a suspect was detained at the airport, police department officials said Monday.
“The female suspect was located at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and taken into custody without incident,” police said in a tweet.
Another victim who was wounded is hospitalized, police said.
The victims were Wesley Freeman, a 41-year-old from Atlanta, and Michael Shinners, 60, who lived in the suburb of Alpharetta, according to the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office. Freeman, who died at a nearby hospital, was shot six times and Shinners was hit three times, the agency said.
Interim Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said the shootings didn’t appear to be random acts.
“We do believe the individuals were likely targeted,” he told reporters. He added that officers searching for the suspect had obtained information that the suspect had gone to the airport.
Police and federal agents searched the facility for the woman, who was detained at around 4 p.m. ET.
Authorities recovered a handgun at the airport, the interim chief said. Mayor Andre Dickens said the suspect was apprehended before going through airport security.
“I want to say clearly that the security of the airport was never compromised,” Dickens said.
Officers initially responded to a high-rise condominium on West Peachtree Street at about 1:45 p.m. ET to a report of someone hit by gunfire.
“Upon arrival, officers located two individuals who appeared to have been shot. One of the victims has died and the second was taken to the hospital for treatment,” officials said in the statement.
About 15 minutes later, authorities received a call of a person shot on Peachtree Street.
The condition of the wounded victim is unknown, police said.
Schierbaum said he lives in the area. “I know this to be a safe neighborhood,” he said.
Dickens sent his condolences to the families of the victims and the community should know that it is safe. He said that a vast camera network in the city helped to quickly track down the suspect.
Victims, suspected shooter identified in deadly triple Midtown Atlanta shooting
Two men are dead and another person is in the hospital after a triple shooting Monday afternoon in Midtown Atlanta.
The shooting spree started at a high-rise condo building on West Peachtree Street where two people were shot. Then, another person was shot a few blocks away on Peachtree.
Atlanta police, SWAT teams and K9s swarmed Peachtree Street near Colony Square after reports of an active shooter.
Witnesses and an integrated city camera system helped identify the suspect as Raissa Kengne, 34. A surveillance shot from MARTA circulated and eventually led to Kengne being located and arrested at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Police arrested Kengne near the south baggage claim and recovered the firearm believed to have been used in the shooting. Airline passengers and employees watched as she was handcuffed and put into the back of a cruiser.
The Fulton County Medical Examiner confirmed to CBS46 that 41-year-old Wesley Freeman died at the hospital, and 60-year-old Michael Shinners died at 1280 West Peachtree. Police say Shinners is from Alpharetta.
“Micheal Shinners was an above and beyond building manager. He was loved by our community. The events today are shocking and he can never be replaced. We are deeply saddened,” said Brian Hall, a resident of 1280 West, the condominium complex where the triple shooting began.
The third shooting victim, Mike Horne, is in the ICU and will require additional surgeries, according to Beacon Management Services, the property managers at 1280 West.
Property managers told residents in an email that the shooting took place around 1 p.m. in the management office at 1280 West.
During a press conference, police said that it appears Kengne targeted all three victims.
CBS46 spoke with residents who lived in the building where the deadly shooting took place, and they said they recognized the shooter and that she had lived there for about 5 years.
Social media posts by the accused shooter may help explain the motive behind the shooting.
On her public LinkedIn page, she posted a fiery message a day before the shooting condemning building management.
Kenge wrote her complaints stemmed from a case of alleged fraud involving a former employer.
We also uncovered a lawsuit that she filed against Georgia Power in June. The lawsuit says that the plaintiff (Kenge) is also suing several 1280 West management team members and the 1280 West board members in Fulton County Superior Court for withholding the plaintiff’s mail, including mail from Georgia Power.
Kengne is charged with two counts of Murder, three counts of Aggravated Assault, two counts of False Imprisonment, and two counts of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of or Attempt to Commit Certain Felonies.
Sources:
https://www.foxnews.com/us/atlanta-police-searching-suspect-midtown-area-who-shot-multiple-people
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/08/22/us/atlanta-midtown-shooting/index.html