7/16/23: 9:22 p.m. ADDS Chief Kevin Roberts comment
7:52 p.m. UPDATES throughout
Multiple sources confirm that the alleged Henry County mass shooter is dead and that two Clayton County Police officers and a Henry County Sheriff’s deputy have been wounded. The incident took place inside a home in the Carriage Place subdivision. A man on scene told The Clayton Crescent he had come over to his friends’ house for a barbecue, only to learn that a naked man had come to their door, allegedly asking to be let in, with police in pursuit. He said the man entered the home, police followed, and a shootout took place. Andre Longemore, 41, the suspect, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Clayton County Police Chief Kevin Roberts told The Clayton Crescent, “Both sustained non-life-threatening injuries. One was shot in the vest without penetration. The other was grazed in the area of his abdomen. Both have been treated and released from local hospitals.”
Henry County Sheriff Reginald Scandrett said the deputy had been shot in the back, WSB reported.
Longemore was wanted in the mass shooting deaths of four people in Hampton Saturday. Witnesses said Longemore began walking down the street and shooting people in the Dogwood Lakes subdivision around 10:45 a.m. yesterday.
HCSO identified the victims of Saturday’s mass shooting as Scott Levitt, 67; Shirley Levitt, 66; Steve Blizzard, 65; and Ronald Jeffers, 66.
“The monster is dead,” Scandrett said during a news conference in Henry County late Sunday afternoon. “The citizens of Hampton, the county of Henry, the metro Atlanta area, and the entire state of Georgia can breathe a little easier tonight. The suspect is off the street.”
Members of the Hampton Baptist Church near Dogwood Lakes told WSB’s Larry Spruill that Longemore had attended their services about five years ago, and that parishoners were so “uncomfortable” they put a security program in place.
Hampton Police, HCSO, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Henry County Police Department, Henry County Homeland Security, and the Henry County Crime Scene Unit were investigating the mass shooting case.
Residents of the Carriage Place subdivision and nearby homes down the street wandered back and forth as traffic backed up late Sunday afternoon. One woman told The Clayton Crescent she had been sitting in her car for three and a half hours and wanted to know whether she could cross under the police tape to get to her home down the street because she was blocked from driving home in both directions.
Clayton County Police said she could walk to her house. She and a man carrying grocery bags walked down the street, then returned several minutes later, saying police said she could move her car to the other side of the blockade to get closer to home.
Other landmarks in the immediate area include the Carrington Park and Fieldstone Glen apartments, Mt. Zion High School, Martha Ellen Stilwell School of the Arts, the Clayton County Performing Arts Center, Kaiser Permanente Southwood, Fresenius Kidney Care Southwood, and Mt. Zion Urgent Care. (The map shows the general area, not the precise address of the incident.)
Motorists stuck in the buildup near Kaiser got out of their cars, shooting cellphone video and chatting as news crews interviewed passersby.
Clayton County Police issued this statement shortly after 7 p.m.:
“On July 16, 2023, Clayton County Police Officers learned the suspect from the Henry County mass shooting incident was possibly in the area. A Henry County Deputy made contact with the vehicle the suspect was driving and requested additional assistance. Clayton County law enforcement personnel immediately responded to the area to assist, learning that the suspect fled the location on foot and may be in a nearby wood line.
‘The joint law enforcement effort led officers to the 4000 block of Wagon Wheel Ct, Jonesboro, GA 30236, where contact was made inside of a residence with Longmore. Gunfire was subsequently exchanged, leaving Longmore fatally wounded. Two Clayton County Police officers were injured as well during the shooting and were transported to local area hospitals for treatment. They are said to be in stable condition at this time. A Henry County Sheriff’s Deputy was also injured during this shooting and is receiving treatment as well; his status is currently unknown.
This collaborative law enforcement effort assists to reestablish a sense of comfort for citizens in the surrounding area, knowing this deadly suspect is no longer a threat. This investigation is still active and ongoing at this time. Additional details are currently unavailable, but will be provided as they are received and confirmed.”
The Clayton County Sheriff’s Office posted an advisory at 3:32 p.m. to “avoid the area between Mt. Zion [Boulevard] and Wagon Wheel Court” due to “heavy police activity.” The investigation was expected to last well into the night.
