Suspect arrested in shooting, robbery of UGA student

ATHENS, Ga. (FOX 5 Atlanta) - Police have arrested a man suspected of shooting a University of Georgia student Monday near the university's campus in Athens.

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On Tuesday morning, Athens-Clarke County police say that they have arrested the suspect involved. They have not yet released the suspect's name or how he was arrested.

Shortly after 7:15 a.m. on Monday, police responded to a report of the shooting of a 22-year-old UGA student at a bus stop in the 2100 block of South Milledge Avenue. Police said the student was sitting on a bench waiting for a bus when he was shot.

While officers were on the way, they received a report of a second student robbed at gunpoint at an apartment complex just a short distance away from the bus stop. Investigators believe both incidents are connected to the same suspect.

The shooting victim, later identified as Tate Prezzano, was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries.

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Prezzano’s UGA Lacrosse coach described him as the kind of player who’ll show up first and leave last. That is why it was not "practice as usual" Monday afternoon.

“He was in the ICU so we didn’t get the opportunity to really go in there and see him but it was really just kind of tough to kind of know your teammate is going through something like that,” said Brinen Lefevre, a teammate on the UGA Lacrosse team.

Lefevre said his friend and teammate had lots of visitors including many friends and family at Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center where he is recovering.

Billy O’Haire, his coach, told said Tate is showing great signs of improvement at the hospital.

“From what we’re hearing from the family he’s going to make a full recovery and he’s in good spirits, so it’s great,” said Coach O’Haire.

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A composite sketch of the suspect was drawn with the help of another UGA student late Monday afternoon. Investigators describe him as being in his late teens to early 20s, about 6 feet tall, wearing a dark hoodie, and dark pants. Police said he has long dreadlocks a gold or silver clasp in one of his braids or twists.

The student who helped draw up the sketch was robbed moments before Prezzano was shot at the bus stop. That occurred in a parking lot of the Milledge Place Apartments just up the hill from the bus stop. Police believe the same man is responsible for both incidents.

“I don’t know that’s there’s anything to tie them to being UGA students. I think they were just random,” said Chief Cleveland Spruill, with the Athens-Clarke County Police Department.

The coach told FOX 5 News the UGA Lacross defender was headed to class when he was shot at the bus stop. He said the team is to praying for Tate’s speedy recovery.

“He’s just always the first one here the last one to leave very respectfully, loved by his teammates, his family, our fans. He’s just an amazing person so him getting through all this is unbelievable,” said Coach O’Haire.

Investigators said the suspect was reportedly driving a white, early 2000 model Ford Mustang with a tan convertible roof.

Chief Spruill also told reporters police will step up patrols in the neighborhood where the shooting and robbery occurred.

Anyone with information should call 911. The suspect is considered armed and dangerous.