ATLANTA - A previously convicted felon will spend years in federal prison in connection with a shooting at an Atlanta motel.
In August 2024, 39-year-old Atlanta resident Marcus Thomas pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
Officials say the charges stem from an incident on July 1, 2022. On that day, officers with the Atlanta Police Department responded to reports of shots fired at the Travel Inn on Forest Hill Drive.
Witnesses told officers that they saw a man walk into a motel room and then heard gunshots.
When officers approached the room, they saw that the window had been damaged and took Thomas into custody. Inside the motel room, officers reportedly found ammunition on the floor of the bathroom and the firearm hidden inside a fitted sheet tucked into the bed's mattress.
Thomas had previously been arrested and convicted of multiple other felonies, including aggravated assault, terroristic threats, possession of cocaine, and theft by receiving stolen property. At the time of the shooting, he had only been out of prison for four days, investigators said.
"Thomas was released from state prison only a few days before he illegally obtained a firearm and indiscriminately shot through a motel window, endangering the lives of others within the community," said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. "Thanks to the efforts of our law enforcement partners, violent repeat offenders like Thomas who risk the lives of others, will be brought to justice to face the consequences of their actions."
Following his conviction, a U.S. District judge sentenced Thomas to three years and one month in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.