A Gwinnett County man who shot and killed his brother-in-law Saturday night is unlikely to be charged with a crime, police said.
Investigators believe the shooting was in self-defense.
According to information released Tuesday by Gwinnett County police, the shooter went to a home on Lawrenceville's Freeport Drive about 6:30 p.m. Saturday to meet with a family member. When he arrived, his brother-in-law — 48-year-old Brian E. Davis — confronted him "about an altercation from several years ago."
Davis appeared intoxicated, police said, and began swinging a beer bottle while approaching the shooter.
"After Davis missed striking [the shooter], he reached into his jacket," Gwinnett police Cpl. Michele Pihera said in an emailed statement. "[The shooter] believed that Davis was about to withdraw a firearm, so [he] withdrew his firearm and fired at Davis."
Davis was hit multiple times, police said, and died about two hours later at Gwinnett Medical Center.
The shooter, meanwhile, "secured his weapon in his vehicle and waited for police to arrive," Pihera said. He was interviewed at police headquarters but has not been arrested or charged.
"The incident was witnessed by several other people who corroborated the story," Pihera said. " ... At this time, the lead investigator has reason to believe this shooting was an act of self-defense."
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