A Palmetto man was facing firearms-related charges after police found several spent shell casings in a Newnan cul-de-sac Tuesday night — until a neighbor found a man’s body on his porch several hours later.

The charges against Austin Scandrick, 21, were then upgraded to felony murder and aggravated assault, Newnan police said in a news release.

Officers were first called to investigate reports of shots fired on Oak Street about 7 p.m. A vehicle parked in the yard of a home in the 10 block was found with an apparent bullet hole, and several other bullet holes were found in an exterior wall of the house, Deputy Chief Mark Cooper said.

After interviewing witnesses, officers identified Scandrick as the alleged shooter. They were told he drove off, and a second man, whose name is not known, was seen running away.

Scandrick was later interviewed and arrested on the firearms charges. He was already in the custody of the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office when police got the call about the dead body about 1 a.m. Wednesday.

A homeowner on Alejo Court, one street over from Oak Street, told police he arrived home from work to find a man shot and lying on the sidewalk to his front porch.

The victim, who was identified by police as Jodan Malik McCoy, 22, of Atlanta, was dead when medics arrived.

“It was later determined that Scandrick and McCoy knew each other and were involved in a dispute due to McCoy allegedly slapping Scandrick’s sister earlier in the night,” Cooper said in the release. “The dispute turned physical and then led to both Scandrick and McCoy brandishing firearms.”

Scandrick remains in the Coweta County Jail.

In other news:

Investigators say a traffic stop of a driver going nearly 100 mph led police to a stash of guns and drugs and thousands of dollars in cash.

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In 2020, ministers and seminary students were sent to polling locations throughout the state to monitor, offer encouragement and diffuse tense situations as a part of the New Georgia Project’s Faith Initiative. (Christina Matacotta for the AJC)

Credit: Christina Matacotta for the AJC