Georgia officers honored for bravery 1 year after mass shooting in Henry County
(Clayton County Police Department)
HAMPTON, Ga. - The city of Hampton honored several metro Atlanta police officers for their bravery while dealing with a mass shooting in a local subdivision in 2023.
Henry County Lt. Daniel Podsiadly, and Clayton County officers Walter Pounds and Michael Ruppert were all wounded while trying to take 40-year-old Andre Longmore into custody.
The city honored the three men with proclamations on Wednesday.
"Their bravery and dedication to public safety will never be forgotten and will forever be commemorated in the history of the City of Hampton through this proclamation, which honors their commitment to public safety and is in remembrance of the citizens who were lost that day," the Clayton County Police Department wrote on Facebook. "We are honored to have these brave men still serving our communities."
Manhunt after Henry County mass shooting
Officials say Longmore had been on the run after gunning down three men and one woman in the city's Dogwood Lakes subdivision on the morning of July 15, 2023.
Officers were able to track Longmore to Highway 138 and Mt. Zion Parkway where they got into a shootout with the suspect before he fled. A short time later, the authorities engaged Longmore again, and it was during this exchange of gunfire that he was shot and killed.
"The citizens of Hampton, the county of Henry, the metro Atlanta area, and the entire state of Georgia can breathe a little easier tonight that the suspect is off the street." Henry County Sheriff Reginald B. Scandrett said at a press conference at the time. "This monster is off of our streets."
Medics flew Podsiadly to Grady after officials said he was shot in the back. Pounds and Ruppert were taken to local hospitals for treatment. All three men survived their injuries and are back on duty.
Who were the victims of the Henry County mass shooting?
A day after the shooting, authorities identified the victims as Scott Leavitt, 67, Shirley Leavitt, 66, Ronald Jeffers, 66, and Steve Blizzard, 65. All four victims lived on Dogwood Lakes Drive.
"I just heard bam, and as soon as I heard it, I knew what it was," neighbor Frankie Worth told FOX 5 in 2023. "He had on tactical gear, but it was a weird type of gear I've never seen before."
Authorities have not said what led up to the deadly shooting or Longmore's motive.