DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. — Parents were scared for their children’s safety after a man was shot and killed near Douglas County schools. Deputies said they are still searching for the killer.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said they were called to the Chevron on the 1800 block of Lee Road in response to “shots fired, person down call” around 11 a.m. When they arrived, they found a man dead in a grassy area.
Channel 2's Justin Wilfon talked to parents, who were terrified because the shooting happened near two schools in the area.
“It’s daytime. You used to be scared at night but it’s daytime,” one parent said.
Parents rushed to pick up their children at the schools in Lithia Springs.
“It’s scary because they could have came to hide, to get away or whatever,” another parent said.
Deputies believed the shooting started off as a robbery.
“This was an apparent robbery that resulted in the shooting death of a white male in his 40’s,” said Jesse Hambrick, with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
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While they searched for the killer, Lithia Springs High School and Sweetwater Elementary School were placed on a soft lockdown, which means all doors were closed and locked.
“We do it quite often, all the time when we may even think there’s a concern,” Hambrick said.
By mid-afternoon the lockdowns were lifted and parents were relieved.
So far, the authorities say no arrests have been made, but they are making progress.
“We’re developing a lot of leads, obviously, and doing what we can do to find closure,” Hambrick said.
The victim’s name has not yet been released.