Cobb County man blamed electrician for pet death then shot him, police say

Larry Epstein, 68, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and aggravated battery. (Photo: WSB-TV)

MARIETTA, Ga. — A police detective says a Georgia homeowner blamed an electrician for the death of his pets before shooting him.

Cobb County police Detective Phil Stoddard testified in court Tuesday that a doorbell camera recorded the shooting by 68-year-old Larry Epstein. Stoddard says video shows Epstein approaching 37-year-old electrician Gordon Montcalm as Montcalm and another electrician prepared to leave the home this month.

He says Epstein can be heard saying "You killed my pets" before shooting Montcalm several times. Montcalm escaped to a nearby home and survived.

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The other electrician, 21-year-old Jake Horne, was later found with a gunshot wound to his head. He was taken to a hospital and died.

Stoddard says there's no evidence of pets being killed. Epstein's defense has requested a mental evaluation.

Channel 2's Chris Jose spoke to Mike Gikemi, who is Montcalm's neighbor and knows his family. Police said Montcalm has several gunshot wounds to the face, neck and arm.

"I am saddened to know that it happened to somebody so close to us," Gikemi said. "You don't know when you leave the house to go to work that that might be your demise."'

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report