It wasn’t the first time Knox Panter’s truck had been broken into this year. Though he knew to not leave anything of value in it, he was shot and killed early Friday night after finding a group of men breaking into it.
Panter was shot about 1:15 a.m. when he went outside his grandmothers’ home on Winburn Drive and confronted the men, according to East Point police. The 24-year-old’s death has rattled the Jefferson Park neighborhood, where residents said they have reported multiple car break-ins in recent weeks.
“It just seems that if there was a police presence there, this would have been avoided,” family friend Donald Pridgen told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution by phone Monday afternoon.
East Point police received videos from neighbors in the area that showed men “looking into vehicles in an apparent attempt to break into cars with valuables,” police spokesman Capt. Allyn Glover said. Authorities released photos Monday afternoon of men dressed in all black who they believe are the suspects in the fatal shooting.
After the shooting, the men left in a dark sedan, according to Glover.
Credit: East Point Police Department
Credit: East Point Police Department
As someone who always loved working with his hands, Panter recently started his own tree-trimming service and his truck was his livelihood, Pridgen’s wife, Kelly, told the AJC.
Donald Pridgen, who had known Panter since the day he was born, spent as much time over the weekend with his family as possible as they absorbed the tragic news. Panter was living with his grandmother at the time and served as her caretaker, Pridgen said.
Members of the City Council met with the family over the weekend to address their concerns about safety and policing around the neighborhood. The lack of police presence troubles Pridgen, even though he now lives in Douglasville.
“All police departments are feeling the strain of not having enough officers, but the city of East Point, we are told by a City Councilor who came to the house graciously, has six police cars (patrolling the area) and East Point is huge,” Pridgen said. “If there is no threat of arrest or no threat of deterring this behavior, I mean, they’re just going to continue to prey on people.”
Family and friends are still working through funeral arrangements. The death has been an especially sensitive topic considering everything Panter went through in his life, Pridgen said.
At a young age, Panter beat cancer but lost his eye due to it. His mother eventually died from cancer when he was a teenager and his grandfather died about a month ago due to complications, Pridgen said. Through it all, Panter remained strong.
“He took it like a champ, and I mean, it was a tough deal to go through,” Pridgen said. “I never heard him complain about it ... he learned from his parents that life can be hard.”
Pridgen went to school with Panter’s parents and eventually his children grew up with Knox. He recounted the multiple times they would attend family gatherings together, or when Panter’s mother would babysit Pridgen’s oldest child.
“He is a uniquely good listener. He genuinely cares more about you and what you have to say than what he had to say,” Pridgen said. “He’s humble, very quiet, but very confident.”
Kelly Pridgen described Panter as “a sweet, quiet, gentle, hard working, decent person, beloved by all who knew him.” She is organizing a GoFundMe campaign to help his family with funeral and legal expenses.
Friday’s incident took place about a mile from another fatal shooting Nov. 26 at a Wells Fargo ATM along East Point Street. Juan Lopez was gunned down about 6:30 p.m. after depositing cash at the ATM, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution previously reported. Lopez was shot multiple times and several men fled the scene in a silver vehicle, Glover said.
No suspects have been identified in that shooting. Authorities have not said if the two shootings are related.
East Point police are asking for anyone with information on either homicide to contact detectives at 404-761-2177 or email Capt. Glover at aglover@eastpointcity.org.
— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.
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