A man, a woman and two young children were seen running from a Gwinnett County hotel Thursday night after gunshots rang out, police said.
When officers arrived at the Intown Suites on Steve Reynolds Boulevard, they found a man dead in a third-floor hotel room. Investigators are now looking to speak to the fleeing family.
“We don’t know what led up to the shooting,” Gwinnett police spokeswoman Cpl. Michele Pihera told Channel 2 Action News from the scene. “It is definitely a homicide investigation, but we need their side of the story.”
In surveillance video obtained by police, the four were seen running with armfuls of personal belongings. The children are between 1 and 3 years old, and at least one appeared to be nude, Pihera said.
While the adults have been identified, they still had not been located Friday morning. They were last seen walking on Club Drive toward Pleasant Hill Road.
Police have not released their names since they have not been charged in the homicide, Pihera said.
Other hotel guests heard the gunshots and tried to help the man before officers arrived about 9:15 p.m. He was identified by police as Ivan Pastor-Vital, 31, of Doraville.
“We urge the man and woman to come forward and offer any details about the crime,” Pihera said in a news release. “We still need to locate any additional witnesses to this event who have not yet come forward.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Gwinnett police detectives at 770-513-5300. Tipsters can remain anonymous, and be eligible for rewards of up to $2,000, by contacting Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-8477, texting information to 274637 or visiting the Crime Stoppers website.
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