Man arrested after fatally shooting neighbor at Gwinnett home, police say
A suspect has been charged with murder after he allegedly shot his 36-year-old neighbor at a home near Snellville early Sunday morning.
At about 3 a.m., officers were called about a person down in the 3800 block of Saddle Ridge Drive, Gwinnett County police spokesperson Cpl. Tebin Clack said in a statement. The residence is near Scenic Highway South and the neighborhood of Mountain Cove.
When officers arrived, they found the man dead from an apparent gunshot wound, Clack said. He was identified by the Gwinnett medical examiner as Abel A. Unzicker-Chavez.
“This appears to be an isolated incident, and there is no immediate danger to the public,” Clack said Sunday.
Following an investigation, police arrested 30-year-old Derrick Devon Thomas. He was booked into the county jail Sunday afternoon on charges of murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of or attempt to commit certain felonies, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon or a felony first offender, according to county jail records.
Unzicker-Chavez was shot in the head, according to Thomas’ arrest warrant obtained Monday.
A motive is unclear, and detectives on Monday were still investigating what led to it, police said.
“They both lived on the same street. I do not know if they knew each other,” police spokesperson Cpl. Ryan Winderweedle told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Tuesday.
In August, Thomas was convicted of felony possession of methamphetamine in Floyd County Superior Court, his warrants stated.
Anyone with more information on the shooting is asked to contact the department at 770-513-5300. To remain anonymous, tipsters can contact Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS (8477) or visit stopcrimeATL.com. Tipsters can receive a cash reward for information leading to an arrest and indictment in the case.
