A Gainesville man arrested for child cruelty after two young boys were found in "deplorable living conditions" has now been charged with two shootings that happened in Gainesville and Hall County on January 23.
Hall County Sheriff's Office spokesman Derreck Booth said Willie Joe Moran, 24, was arrested on the child cruelty charges Friday, Feb. 1 at a residence on Dean Street. A woman living at the home, Allisha Thomas, 23, also was arrested.
After further investigation, Hall County investigators found enough evidence to charge Moran with shooting and injuring a woman as she sat in a car in a driveway on Marlow Drive.
"Investigators do not believe the woman who was shot, or the man who was in the vehicle with her the night of January 23rd on Marlow Drive, were intended targets of the suspect," Booth said.
The shooting victim remains at Grady Hospital in Atlanta at last report; she is expected to survive her injuries.
Meanwhile, Gainesville Police charged Moran with a shooting at the New Holland Huddle House on Jesse Jewell Parkway, which occurred less than a half hour before the Marlow Drive shooting.
"Moran shot the employee, chased after the other employee, then came back and shot the (first) employee again, so we knew this was definitely a dangerous subject we needed to get off the streets immediately," said Gainesville Police Sgt. Kevin Holbrook.
Both Huddle House employees are expected to recover from their physical injuries.
In the Hall County shooting case, Moran has been charged with aggravated battery, two counts of aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and wearing a mask to conceal identity.
Gainesville Police have charged Moran with attempted murder, two counts of aggravated battery, two counts of aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and wearing a mask to conceal identity.
"These cases solidify the importance of interagency cooperation; leveraging resources and relationships to protect our community," Gainesville Police Chief Jay Parrish said in a press statement.
"The Hall County Sheriff’s Office and Gainesville Police Department have worked together without missing a beat," Sheriff Gerald Couch said in the same press release. "I applaud investigators from both departments for their multiple hours of team efforts."
Moran remained in the Hall County Jail on Monday evening, Feb. 4, without bond.
Both shooting cases remain under investigation.
