A Gwinnett County man with no known ties to Hall County has been identified as the person who opened fire on motorists on Georgia 365 in Hall County Friday.
At a Saturday morning press conference, Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch identified the suspect as Rex Whitmire Harbour, 26, of Snellville.
Couch said the early investigation determined Harbour was a graduate of Loganville High School, who had attended the University of Georgia for a time. He worked as a landscaper and lived with his parents. The sheriff said Harbour appeared to have no connections to Hall County, and he was unsure why Harbour traveled to the area to commit the crime.
During the briefing for reporters at HCSO headquarters, Couch clarified the timeline of events in the Friday morning ordeal. He said the first call came in to the Hall County 911 Center at 11:48 a.m.
"The motorist advised that her husband had been shot and they were traveling northbound [on Ga. 365] near Tribble Gap Road, and that is near the Habersham County line," Couch said. "Almost immediately, additional calls were received that people were hearing shots and advising that other vehicles had been struck by gunfire near the same location."
At that point, Hall County deputies responded and set up a perimeter, according to Couch.
"At 11:59 a.m., Hall County Sheriff's deputies observed a 2003 beige in color Buick Century pulling out of a wooded area near Tribble Gap Road," Couch said.
He said a deputy who saw the vehicle drew his weapon and ran toward the car; he was radioing for assistance at the same time, according to Couch. When the driver of the vehicle - later determined to be Harbour - saw the deputy, he turned and headed southbound onto Ga. 365. Couch said Hall County deputies and Georgia State Troopers began to follow the Buick Century.
"A brief chase ensued before the driver pulled out a handgun and shot himself in the head," Couch said. "The vehicle traveled out of control down the roadway and into a grass median where it finally came to a stop just north of Whitehall Road."
Couch said Harbour was taken by air ambulance to Grady Hospital, but died enroute to the hospital.
Couch said investigators worked late into the evening to determine why Harbour was in the area and what his motive was in the shooting.
The follow-up investigation determined three people had been injured in the course of the shooting. Two men - in separate vehicles - suffered gunshot wounds; one was shot in the hip, the other in the lower leg. Also, a woman sustained a cut when glass from her vehicle was shattered by a bullet. Investigators determined seven vehicles were hit by bullets, and they found a total of 17 spent shell casings in the area of Tribble Gap Road where Harbour had apparently opened fire.
Couch said investigators who searched the suspect's vehicle found Harbour had been heavily armed.
"The car contents had three 9MM handguns, a 22-caliber Sears bolt-action rifle, a 12-gauge Springfield shotgun, a BB gun and a lot of ammunition," Couch said. He estimated the ammunition at 3,000 rounds of 22-caliber ammunition, 150 rounds of 12-gauge shotgun ammunition and 350 rounds of 9MM ammunition.
Couch said investigators believe Harbour used a 9MM handgun in the shootings on Ga. 365. He said evidence showed Harbour fired from the west side of the highway and hit vehicles traveling in the northbound lanes of traffic. Couch also said investigators found a trail camera in the area that might have been left by a hunter - that camera captured images of Harbour as he was walking to the woodline where he fired the shots into traffic.
In addition, Couch said investigators obtained a search warrant for Harbour's Snellville home and found what he called "disturbing" handwritten documents.
"He indicated that he idolized the mass shooter in the Parkland, Fla. shooting here recently," Couch said. "He called Nicholas Cruz a hero [saying] and that Cruz gave him courage and confidence. The remainder of the documents that I saw are very hate-filled."
Couch told reporters that investigators interviewed Harbour's mother, who called her son "mild-mannered and quiet."
Investigators have not been able to determine a motive for the shooting, according to Couch. He said the investigators have much more evidence to analyze as the case moves forward. He asked anyone who might have helpful information call Hall County Dispatch at 770-536-8812.
Listen to a portion of the press conference from Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch via the player at the left.
