Two police officers in Georgia were injured during a shootout [1] early Saturday morning with a suspect attempting to burglarize a gun store.
The incident occurred at the Adventure Outdoors gun store in Smyrna, approximately 13 miles northwest of downtown Atlanta.
According to officials, the shootout resulted in the suspect being fatally shot by responding officers.
Smyrna Police Department Chief Keith Zgonc provided details of the incident during a press conference later that morning.
At 12:16 a.m., Smyrna and Cobb County police responded to a 911 call reporting a burglary in progress at the Adventure Outdoors store, a massive 80,000 square-foot facility that houses one of the largest inventories of firearms in the world.
Upon arrival, officers encountered an armed suspect inside the store, leading to an exchange of gunfire.
Officers from both the Smyrna Police Department and Cobb County Police Department engaged the suspect, returning fire and killing him at the scene. The identity of the suspect has not yet been released by authorities.
During the shootout, two Smyrna police officers were wounded. Both officers were quickly transported to a local hospital, where they were treated for non-life-threatening injuries and are expected to recover.
Following the exchange of gunfire, a SWAT team was called in to secure the store and ensure that no other suspects were inside. No additional individuals were found on the premises.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is leading the investigation into the incident, as is standard protocol when a police-involved shooting occurs.
Chief Zgonc noted that authorities are still determining whether the suspect intended to steal firearms from the store, which was closed at the time of the break-in.
The large police presence at the scene was attributed to the nature of the store and its inventory, as well as recent incidents involving violence against law enforcement in the Atlanta area.
Adventure Outdoors, which bills itself as “the actual largest gun store in the world,” reportedly has about 18,000 firearms in stock, according to its website.
Cobb County Police Chief Stuart VanHoozer expressed his concerns during the press conference, emphasizing the dangers posed to officers responding to these types of situations. “It is very concerning that a suspect would shoot at police, especially given the fact that two officers have been killed in metro Atlanta over the last few weeks,” VanHoozer said.
The recent string of violent incidents targeting law enforcement has heightened awareness in the area, and police were quick to respond to the Adventure Outdoors burglary due to the potential threat it posed. “We had a lot of officers come, and that’s the reason that they came,” VanHoozer added.
Chief Zgonc also voiced his frustration over the rising trend of violence against police officers. “I’m angry,” Zgonc said. “It angers me that we have people who want to do this. 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.”
The investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation remains ongoing, and further details regarding the suspect and the motive behind the attempted burglary are expected as the case develops.