The Henry County man who police say shot and killed his father last week at the family’s auto parts business told 911 operators that he killed his father after the older man threatened him.
John Wesley Morgan Jr., 48, was charged with murder several hours after the 3:30 p.m. shooting on May 29 at Morgan Auto Parts on Ga. 138 in McDonough.
In 911 tapes released to Channel 2 Action News on Tuesday, Morgan can be heard telling the operator, “My daddy got out, threatened my life and I had to shoot him.”
“He came in here wanting to fight me, and had his hands in his pocket, and I didn’t have no choice but to shoot him,” Morgan told the operator.
Asked by the dispatcher where in the body his father was shot, Morgan replied, “I shot him wherever I could hit him.”
The operator asked if the victim was breathing, and Morgan said, “No, he ain’t; he’s dead.”
When the operator persisted and asked Morgan again if he could tell whether his father was breathing, he told her, “I don’t want to touch the body.”
The operator then asked Morgan to look and see if his father’s chest was rising.
“I shot him with an AK-47; there ain’t no way he’s breathing,” Morgan said.
Police found John Wesley Morgan Sr., 79, dead behind the parts store. His son was waiting for the officers when they arrived and surrendered.