Gwinnett Officer Killed, Veteran Wounded in Hotel Fraud Call Shooting

A 25-year-old Gwinnett County police officer was killed and a veteran colleague critically wounded Sunday morning when a fraud investigation at a suburban Atlanta hotel turned into what authorities called an unprovoked gun attack inside a guest room.abcnews +1 The suspect, a 35-year-old man with prior felony convictions, was shot by officers and was expected to survive before being booked into jail.abcnews +1

The shooting unfolded around 7:30 a.m. on Feb. 1 at a Holiday Inn Express on East Park Place Boulevard near Stone Mountain, about 25 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta.abcnews +1 Officers were responding to a report that a stolen credit card had been used at the hotel when staff directed them to a room linked to the suspected fraudulent transaction.usatoday

How a Fraud Call Became a Deadly Encounter

Police identified the slain officer as Senior Police Officer Pradeep Tamang, 25, a Nepal-born recruit who joined the department in July 2024 and graduated from the police academy last May.usatoday +1 The wounded officer was named as Corporal David M. Reed, who has served with the Gwinnett County Police Department since 2015 and remained hospitalized in serious but stable condition.usatoday +1

According to Gwinnett County Police Chief J.D. McClure, the officers made contact with the suspect, identified as Kevin Andrews of Decatur, after hotel staff led them to his room.abcnews +1 Andrews invited the officers inside, and while they were discussing the reported credit card fraud, he produced a handgun and opened fire, striking both officers before they could react, McClure said.abcnews +1 The officers returned fire, wounding Andrews, who was later treated for non-life-threatening injuries.abcnews

Suspect’s Criminal Record and Statewide Reaction

Chief McClure said Andrews had “a lengthy criminal history including multiple felony convictions for violent crimes, gun crimes, and narcotics,” and that he was wanted on active warrants out of neighboring DeKalb County at the time of the shooting.cbsnews +1 After receiving medical treatment, Andrews was booked into the Gwinnett County Jail as investigators prepared potential charges, which are expected to include murder and aggravated assault on a police officer.abcnews +1

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation assumed control of the probe, as is standard in police shootings, and will turn over its findings to the Gwinnett County district attorney for charging decisions.abcnews +1 Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp called the attack “the latest reminder of the dangers law enforcement face on a daily basis,” while county officials praised Tamang and Reed as heroes and urged residents to support their families and the department.abcnews +1

The Bigger Picture

The shooting placed a spotlight on the unpredictable risks officers face even on routine calls such as fraud complaints, as well as on how encounters can escalate rapidly once weapons are introduced. With one young officer dead less than two years into his career, another fighting to recover after more than a decade on the force, and an investigation now in the hands of state authorities, Gwinnett County’s attention turned to mourning, accountability, and how a suspected economic crime ended with deadly gunfire inside a hotel room.