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Midtown shooting suspect was possibly looking for fourth target
Raissa Kengne got into a taxi cab and went to the home of an attorney who represented her in a lawsuit. Ultimately the case did not go forward and she named him in a subsequent lawsuit.
ATLANTA - The family of a man shot and killed in a Monday attack in Midtown Atlanta say that he had tried to help the woman accused of taking his life in the past.
Raissa Kengne, 34, faces felony murder, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and other charges in the Monday afternoon shooting.
According to the Atlanta Police Department, Kengne opened fire at at a condominium building 1280 West Peachtree Street around 1:45 p.m. where she allegedly shot two people, 60-year-old Michael Shinners and 68-year-old Michael Horne. Shinners did not survive.
Michael Shinners (Courtesy of the family)
Police then responded to a second shooting scene at 1100 Peachtree Street, where Kengne allegedly killed her former accounting firm manager, Wesley Freeman, 41.
After the shootings, a cab driver for Checker Cab told FOX 5 Atlanta he picked Kengne up in Midtown, unaware of the situation.
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Midtown shooter's cab ride to the airport
The cab driver who took the Midtown shooting suspect to the Atlanta airport describes his conversation with Raissa Kengne.
A camera inside the taxi showed Kengne shuffle through some papers before giving the driver the address of a home near Ansley Golf Club, which FOX 5 confirmed belongs to one of Kengne's former attorneys, Michael Sullivan.
Atlanta police confirmed to FOX 5 Atlanta that they have surveillance video of Kengne — wearing a black-and-white-striped top — on the front porch of the attorney's home. While it is not clear exactly why she was there, the two men Kengne is now charged with killing were also both listed as defendants in her lawsuit.
When no one answered the door at Sullivan's home, Kengne returned to the cab and went to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport where police arrested her.
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Atlanta police release 911 calls in Midtown shooting
The 911 calls released by Atlanta police paint a very vivid picture of the chaos and terror of Monday afternoon's deadly shootings in Midtown.
In a statement released from Shinners' family Thursday, the 60-year-old property manager was described as a "dedicated husband and father of three" who was an "upstanding professional who was accredited at the top level of his field."
"Michael lit up every room he walked into and always had a smile for anyone he met," the family said in the statement.
The family also pushed back on what they called "inaccurate information" that he had somehow contributed to his death. Kengne had previous accused the condo association of letting people into her home to facilitate "harassment and retaliation" from the accounting firm and others. The management firm described her as a "disgruntled resident."
"Michael never let any unauthorized person into anyone's home. In fact, when made aware of the situation, Michael attempted to help the woman who would later take his life," the victim's family wrote. "Michael's death came at the hands of a distressed woman who made a reprehensible and unfathomable decision to end innocent lives."
Kengne remains in the Fulton County Jail without bond.
You can read the full statement from the family below:
Devastation and heartbreak do not even begin to describe the immense shock and sadness that has overtaken our family following the tragic and senseless loss of Michael Shinners. Michael lit up every room he walked into and always had a smile for anyone he met. He was a dedicated husband and father of three, and an upstanding professional who was accredited at the top level of his field. He was deeply loved and he loved people deeply.
Michael never let any unauthorized person into anyone's home. In fact, when made aware of the situation, Michael attempted to help the woman who would later take his life. Michael's death came at the hands of a distressed woman who made a reprehensible and unfathomable decision to end innocent lives. We ask that our family is allowed to grieve in peace and that our beloved Michael’s memory is not distorted by inaccurate information.