Police officer killed, another seriously wounded in hotel room shootout
in Georgia
[February 02, 2026]
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (AP) — A man being questioned by police at a
suburban Atlanta hotel on Sunday shot the two officers after inviting
them into his room, killing one of them and seriously wounding the
other, authorities said.
The shooting suspect also was shot by one of the officers and was
undergoing medical treatment and expected to survive, Gwinnett County
Police Chief J.D. McClure said during a news conference.
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An image taken from WSB video shows Gwinnett County Police Chief J.D.
McClure speaks at a news conference Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, in Gwinnett
County, Ga., following the shootings of two officers at a hotel. (WSB
via AP) |
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The shootout happened Sunday morning near Stone Mountain, about
25 miles (40 kilometers) northeast of Atlanta. The officers were
dispatched to the hotel after a caller in another state reported
someone had fraudulently used their credit card there, the
Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a statement. The agency
said the front desk clerk directed the officers to the room of
the person who had used the credit card.
McClure said the suspect greeted the officers at the door to his
room and invited them inside.
“They began discussing the scenario or the incident with him,”
McClure said. “And at some point the suspect produced a handgun
and, in an unprovoked attack, fired at our Gwinnett County
police officers."
Officer Pradeep Tamang, 25, died from his injuries at a
hospital, McClure said. A native of Nepal, Tamang had joined the
police department 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 face
on a daily basis, and we are grateful for every one that puts
themselves in harm’s way to protect their fellow Georgians,”
Gov. Brian Kemp said on the social media platform X.
McClure identified the shooting suspect as 35-year-old Kevin
Andrews of Decatur, Georgia. It was not immediately known
whether Andrews had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
The investigation has been turned over to the Georgia Bureau of
Investigation, which customarily handles shootings involving law
enforcement officers in the state. McClure said it would be up
to the GBI and local prosecutors to decide what charges to bring
against Andrews.
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