ATLANTA - Even though a North Georgia rape suspect shot and killed himself in midtown Atlanta Thursday morning, Gilmer County's sheriff says the investigation into the incident will continue.
"Certainly it'll bring this particular charge to an end, but there's some loose ends that we've got to tie up that I can't really go into at this point," said Gilmer County Sheriff Stacy Nicholson, responding to the news that 46-year-old James Scott Carringer had shot and killed himself during a SWAT standoff in Atlanta.
Nicholson said Gilmer County issued a warrant for rape against Carringer on Wednesday, after he allegedly abducted a Kennesaw State University student in Cobb County and took her to Ellijay where he attacked her. He said the victim and Carringer were both from the Towns County area.
The sheriff credited an alert Atlanta Police officer with spotting the suspect.
"We had sent out regional broadcast through the (computers) as well as lookouts through the Atlanta news media," said Nicholson.
Atlanta Police Maj. R.L. Browning said police received a call at 5:30 a.m. Thursday about a suspicious vehicle in the area of Peachtree Street and 26th Street.
When officers approached, Browning said the occupant said he was suicidal and had a gun and explosives.
A SWAT team was called in, and police say a gunshot was heard. Browning said a robot was used to detonate an explosive to knock out a window of the car.
He said the man was found dead in the vehicle of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
A portion of Peachtree Street, a major thoroughfare, was shut down for several hours and reopened at about 8:30 a.m.
Monday
November 25th, 2024
6:35AM
