x
Breaking News
More () »

Neighbors recount DeKalb shooting that hurt 2 deputies

A 14-year-old boy said his usual walk to school was drastically different as authorities swarmed his neighborhood.

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — People inside a DeKalb County neighborhood are shaken up after being on lockdown Wednesday as law enforcement searched for a man who they say shot two deputies earlier that morning. 

A Lithonia mother shared video of the shooting with 11Alive. The gunfire would put the neighborhood on lockdown for five hours.

In the video, authorities are heard yelling at neighbors to "get away from the windows" as a man opens fire on DeKalb County investigators. 

The wounded investigators have been identified as Aaron Jackson and Ja'rad Hunt. Both were said to be "conscious and alert" after being taken to DeKalb Medical Center right after the shooting, according to the sheriff's office. They were then taken to Grady Hospital.

According to DeKalb County Sheriff Melody Maddox, Edward Allen Gatling shot deputies as they were serving a warrant around 7:30 a.m. Gatling was initially wanted on an aggravated assault with intent to murder warrant issued in October.

Dwayne Armstrong, who recently moved into the house next door to Gatling, said he didn't know the man well, or anything about his background. He added that Gatling and a woman lived there with two small children. So, Armstrong was surprised to look out his window and see deputies closing in on Gatling's house, hearing them announce themselves and then breaking through the front door.

Armstrong immediately heard a barrage of gunfire, "It could be almost 20 to 25 shots in a row. It was a lot of them at one time." 

He said deputies pulled Hunt and Jackson out of the line of fire.

“They were just asking, 'were you hit, are you okay,' and one of the wounded said, 'no, I’m not okay, I’ve been hit. Hit on my side.' And then they pulled him out of the way.”

The shots were fired as children were headed to school, according to the Lithonia mom. She said her son saw it all happen.

"Before he could make it to the bus stop, he said he saw the man open up fire on the police officers. And I called his phone and just said, 'just make it in the house, come in the house,'" she said.

The 14-year-old boy said his usual walk to the school bus changed in an instant.

"I thought, 'no bullets going through my house.' I saw all the cars pulling up and I was like, 'dang!'" he said and he redirected his walk to a safer area.

Students already at schools nearby had to shelter in place while law enforcement searched for Gatling. Eight DeKalb County schools were put on level "two lockdown" as multiple law enforcement agencies began a manhunt for the suspect. 

The lockdown was later lifted Wednesday afternoon with school busses returning to their normal routes through the Lithonia neighborhood, according to the DeKalb County School District. However, crime scene tape was still seen in the neighborhood by the time students got home, according to the Lithonia mom.

After searching for most of the day, the hours-long manhunt came to a close after Gatling was found hiding in the woods not far from the initial incident. Authorities were alerted to the 38-year-old's whereabouts after a caller informed them of a "suspicious person" in the area.

"The Atlanta SWAT along with DeKalb County Police Department SWAT team went to the wood line and caught sight of the individual," Maddox said. "Gunfire was exchanged. The suspect was hit and is deceased at this time."

The sheriff said authorities tried to perform life-saving efforts on Gatling, but he died. No one else was hurt in the crossfire, Maddox said.

Before You Leave, Check This Out