2 Georgia police officers shot responding to gun store burglary, suspect dead
Two Georgia police officers were injured during a shootout with a suspected gun store burglar just after midnight Saturday morning.
Smyrna and Cobb County police responded to a 911 call at 12:16 a.m. regarding a burglary at the Adventure Outdoors gun store along South Cobb Drive, Smyrna Police Department Chief Keith Zgonc said during an early morning press conference. The expansive 80,000 square foot store and range is about 13 miles northwest of Downtown Atlanta.
When officers arrived, they encountered an armed gunman that was inside the store at the time, Zgonc said. Gunfire erupted between the gunman and officers on scene.
Officers from the Smyrna Police Department and the Cobb County Police Department returned fire, killing the suspect. His identity has not been revealed.
Two Smyrna Police Department officers were shot and injured during the shooting. They were both transported to a local area hospital where they are recovering from their non-life-threatening injuries.
A SWAT team was subsequently brought in to secure the store and ensure there was no one else inside.
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The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is on the scene and is investigating the incident, Zgonc said.
Zgonc said police were unsure if the suspect had broken into the store to steal weapons. The store was closed at the time.
Cobb County Police Chief Stuart VanHoozer said it is very concerning that a suspect would shoot at police, noting that two officers have been killed in metro Atlanta the last few weeks.
He said there was a massive police response given the recent police shootings in the area and the nature of the store, which has about 18,000 guns in stock, according to the company’s website. The store touts itself as the “actual largest gun store in the world.”
“We had a lot of officers come and that’s the reason that they came,” VanHoozer said.
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“I’m angry, it angers me that we have people that want to do this,” Zgonc added.
“They want to take shots at police officers. They want to do us harm and clearly, this individual that was involved in this criminal act necessitated our response.”