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Commerce community shocked 'beloved' 72-year-old with special needs fatally shot

Police said the shooting happened at the Hardee's at 44 Homer Rd. in Commerce, a city in Jackson County, Georgia.

COMMERCE, Ga. — Police have a suspect in custody and a community remains in disbelief after a beloved man with special needs was fatally shot outside a fast food restaurant Sunday morning. 

It's left the small northeast Georgia community of Commerce shaken and struggling with the loss, with many residents trying to wrap their mind around how someone could kill a man so kind.

Police said the shooting happened around 7:30 a.m. at the Hardee's at 44 Homer Rd. in Commerce -- a city in Jackson County located 70 miles northeast of Atlanta off Interstate 85.

According to Commerce Police Chief Ken Harmon, Calvin Varnum, 72, was standing on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant when the suspected shooter drove up in a dark blue Dodge Journey.

Harmon said the two had some sort of conversation before the suspect shot Varnum multiple times. Police said a Good Samaritan was able to resuscitate Varnum before he was taken to Northeast Georgia Medical Center by EMS, but the 72-year-old died a short time later.

Police said Monday that 23-year-old Xavier Clark was in custody in connection to the homicide. They said they were finalizing a release detailing his exact charges.

Credit: Commerce Police Department

The car, captured in the surveillance image below, was last seen driving north on Homer Road away from the Downtown Commerce. The vehicle, that police said Clark was driving, is a blue Dodge Journey with Georgia license plate number: CKP9568 

Credit: Commerce Police Department
Hardee's shooting suspect car

Varnum was a beloved member of the community, known for walking around the town and waving to folks every day.  

Kasi Jordan has lived in Commerce all her life.

"Even though we may not have known him on a personal level, we knew his smile. We knew his wave. We knew what he brought is joy," Jordan added. "And I think all of us as a community are going to grieve and mourn that.”

Dana Lynn Rucker said she's Varnum's cousin.

“I was devastated. I was like, ‘No, this could not happen to Calvin, because Calvin doesn’t bother anybody,'" Rucker said. "He wouldn’t harm anybody.”

Rucker says Vernum comes from a big family. And their hearts are broken into a thousand pieces.

 “He was a kind person," Rucker said. "If he could do anything to help you, he would, but to lose your life as senselessly as this, that’s not right.”

Commerce Police Chief Ken Harmon said evidence leads investigators to believe that this shooting was targeted. This is the first homicide investigation in the city in two years.

“This isn’t a common occurrence, certainly like this. We’re struggling with a motive, with a why," Harmon said.

Saturday night, there was a vigil at the crime scene. Dozens from the community showed up to support. Patti Knick is a Commerce resident who also works with special needs adults. 

“Why? Did somebody not take the time to get to know him? And did they just do this for no reason?" Knick asked in utter disbelief. "And if they did know him, how could you know that man and hurt him? How could you hurt him like that?"

When the Commerce Police Department shared information about the shooting on its Facebook page, hundreds of people flooded the comments of the post to share their shock and devastation. 

"I can't imagine not waving to this man every day," one person wrote. "This affected the whole community."

"He was the sweetest man. He waved at everyone he saw. We are going to miss this sweet soul," another person added. "Why would anyone do this!? How can anyone be so cruel?"

The Skate-A-Rama, in Commerce, took donations to offer a reward for any information on the suspect. It has reached over $12,000.

Another resident who contacted 11Alive and shared a personal photo of Varnum described him as "such a precious, sweet man." She recounted a moment she shared with him while shopping at a drug store.

"He proudly walked up to me and told me that his name was Calvin and it was his birthday. He told me he was 71 years old and was smiling from ear to ear," she said. 

Credit: Provided
Calvin Varnum, 72

"He just had a way of making your heart happy," she added. "He was so endearing and his happiness was so contagious! I can’t even wrap my mind around how someone so evil could take such an amazing light out of this world!"

Right now, police are still working the case, described an active investigation. Anyone who has information is asked to contact Detective Sgt. King at 706-335-1847.

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