A Marietta man has been sentenced to 10 years for threatening five workers at a nursing home facility in Cobb County, according to the district attorney’s office.

After the death of his sister in April 2017, John Wallace told five employees at the facility: “I will kill you. I will come with a gun and shoot you all.”

Wallace then tried to force his way into the nurses’ station through a locked door about 11 p.m. at Signature Healthcare of Marietta, said Kimberly Isaza, a spokeswoman for the district attorney.

Wallace banged loudly on the counter and nurse’s carts. An employee who ran outside to call 911 thought the noises were gunshots, Isaza said Friday.

Wallace was later arrested at nearby WellStar Kennestone Hospital.

Although Wallace denied making any threats, Isaza said he continued while sitting in the back of a patrol car.

“The defendant to this day refuses to acknowledge the real terror he caused,” said attorney Kim Schwartz, who prosecuted the case.

Cobb Superior Court Judge Robert Flournoy sentenced Wallace to serve two years in custody and the rest on probation.

Flournoy also warned Wallace, originally from Liberia, that he could be deported after his release from prison.

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In this file photo from October 2024, Atlanta Braves outfielder Jorge Soler and teammates react after losing to the San Diego Padres 5-4 in San Diego. The Braves and Soler, who now plays for the Los Angeles Angels, face a lawsuit by a fan injured at a 2021 World Series game at Truist Park in Atlanta. (Jason Getz/AJC)

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