1 dead in off-campus shooting near University of West Georgia; 2 in custody
CARROLLTON, Ga. - Authorities have arrested two people police say were involved in a fatal shooting late last night at an off-campus apartment complex near the University of West Georgia. The shooting occurred in the parking lot of The Reserve Carrollton Apartments on Lovvorn Road.
Police were alerted to the incident around 10:20 p.m. Sunday. Upon arrival, they found a man suffering from a gunshot wound in the apartment complex parking lot. Witnesses reported seeing a white car leaving the scene. Officers located the vehicle and attempted to stop it, but the driver refused to pull over, leading police on a brief chase that ended near Tanner Medical Center, where the suspect abandoned the car and ran away.
The gunshot victim, later identified as 32-year-old Mario David Lopez Gomez of Snellville, was transported to a hospital but was later pronounced dead.
One of the suspected shooters was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital to be treated.
The two people taken into custody were identified as 20-year-old Markeese Jarvis Clark and 22-year-old Maurice Williams, both of Marietta.
Police have confirmed neither individual was affiliated with the university.
The University of West Georgia sent a statement regarding murder that reads:
"The off-campus apartment complex where this incident occurred is privately owned and operated. While some of our students may choose to reside there, it is not affiliated with or managed by the University of West Georgia. The safety of our entire university community is our top priority, and we are working with local law enforcement who are the lead investigators for this case. If students ever feel unsafe, we strongly encourage them to call the UWG Police Department or use our LiveSafe mobile application."
Investigators are working to determine the motive behind the shooting and whether the individuals involved are connected to the university community.
Both Clark and Williams were charged with murder and were booked into the Carroll County Jail.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Carrollton Police Department at 770-834-4451.