GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A Snellville man was convicted on Friday after he shot into a Gwinnett County hotel room, killing a woman when he was aiming for her grandson.
Tyree Jaron Simmons, 27, was convicted and found guilty by a Gwinnett County jury on Friday of malice murder, three counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, first-degree criminal damage to property, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony for the February 22, 2022, death of 64-year-old Christine Walker.
In February of 2022, Walker was asleep in the extended stay hotel room she shared with her 17-year-old grandson A’Jadeen Cunningham. Around 4:30 a.m., Cunningham was in the bathroom when rapid-fire gunshots were heard, according to investigators.
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Walker was fatally shot in the head and died in her bed, police say.
Cunningham had a prior altercation with Simmons and told police that Simmons pointed a handgun at him that was equipped with a “switch.”
Police interviewed Simmons, who denied any knowledge of the shooting or having a gun.
The Intown Suites on Highway 78 evicted Simmons, and police held him on an unrelated warrant. Investigators eventually found a Glock 29 handgun with a switch attachment hidden in the cook-top drip pan of the stove where Simmons had been staying.
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“Christine Walker was asleep when the defendant opened fire into her room,” Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said. “All she did was take responsibility for raising her grandson. She did not deserve to be murdered this way. The fact that he had a switch, which turned his semi-automatic handgun into an automatic weapon, makes this crime especially egregious. Our hearts pour out for Ms. Walker’s grandson and for her family and loved ones.”
Simmons will be sentenced at a later date, but faces life in prison.
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