Police officer killed, other seriously injured in shooting in hotel rooms in Georgia

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (AP) — A man questioned by police Sunday at a suburban Atlanta hotel shot the two officers after inviting them into his room, killing one of them and seriously wounding the other, authorities said.

The shooting suspect was also shot by one of the officers and was receiving medical treatment and is expected to survive, Gwinnett County Police Chief J.D. McClure said at a news conference.

The gunfight took place Sunday morning near Stone Mountain, about 25 miles northeast of Atlanta. Officers were dispatched to a hotel after a caller reported that a person staying there had used the hotel “fraud or forgery” to rent a roomsaid the police chief.

He said the suspect greeted the officers at the door of his room and invited them inside.

“They started discussing the scenario or the incident with him,” McClure said. “And at some point, the suspect pulled out a gun and shot our Gwinnett County police officers in an unprovoked attack.”

Officer Pradeep Tamang, 25, died of his injuries at a hospital, McClure said. Born in Nepal, Tamang had joined the police last year.

Office David Reed was hospitalized in serious but stable condition Sunday afternoon, the police chief said.

“This is the latest reminder of the dangers law enforcement officers face every day, and we are grateful for everyone who puts themselves in harm’s way to protect their fellow Georgians,” Gov. Brian Kemp said on the social media platform

McClure identified the shooting suspect as 35-year-old Kevin Andrews. It was not immediately known if Andrews had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.

The investigation was turned over to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which typically handles shootings involving law enforcement in the state. McClure said it will be up to the GBI and local prosecutors to decide what charges to file against Andrews.