Atlanta shooting victims include man’s ex-wife, her boyfriend
Douglasville, Ga., — Georgia sheriff’s detectives plan to release new details on Monday about a weekend shooting rampage in suburban Atlanta, where a father killed his ex-wife, her boyfriend and two children before turning the gun on himself.
Five died in Saturday’s deadly shooting, which also left two surviving children in critical condition at an Atlanta area hospital, authorities said.
The four children involved were ages seven to 15 years.
Authorities said they planned to hold a morning news conference on the shooting.
Neighbors saw the 33-year-old shooter, Cedric Prather, dressed all in black before the shooting, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. He was pacing outside his former wife’s home near Douglasville, about 20 miles west of Atlanta.
Prather entered and killed his ex-wife, Latoya Andrews, 33, and her boyfriend, Joseph Terry Brown, 33. He also shot and killed a boy inside, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said.
Prather chased his daughter out of the house and shot her as she pleaded and screamed, neighbors who witnessed the incident told Reuters.
The children killed were 7 and 9 years old.
Authorities said two other girls were shot during the rampage in a quiet neighborhood of two-car garages, well-kept lawns and pickup ball games. Those girls, ages 8 and 15, were in critical, but stable condition at an Atlanta area hospital, authorities said on Sunday.
The shooting spree ended when Prather took his own life.
The youth have not been identified, but sheriff’s detectives said three were Prather’s children with Andrews. The fourth is the child of Brown.
A Douglas County Coroner told Reuters on Sunday that they were on life support.
