Police: Cobb hotel employee shot by guest; man arrested in his room hours later
For about eight hours Monday morning, Cobb County police searched for a man who they believed shot an employee of a hotel near Kennesaw.
Officials said the employee of the Quality Inn along Cobb Place Boulevard was struck by gunfire multiple times around 2 a.m. While Cobb police did not have details about their condition, the 48-year-old victim was taken to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital and is “expected to recover,” spokesperson Officer Aaron Wilson said.
The suspect, identified by police as 26-year-old Gary Elliott, of Acworth, was located in a second-floor room of the hotel, where he had been staying, and was arrested around 10 a.m., police said. Officials initially said the suspect had been located at a neighboring hotel.
Elliott faces several charges, including aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, according to online jail records.
It is not clear what sparked the shooting, which left a window in the hotel’s lobby broken. Wilson said investigators are working to determine more details.
“We hope to find that out as soon as possible,” he said.
Authorities searched the area, which is just off Barrett Parkway and near I-75, for the alleged gunman into the late morning hours. At one point, officers could be seen saturating the busy area near the hotel with long guns and drones. A K-9 unit was also called in to assist.
Officers located the suspect thanks to a tip from a concerned citizen about a suspicious person at the hotel, Wilson said. He did not clarify what caused the citizen to be suspicious.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact the Cobb County Police Department’s major crimes unit at 770-499-4111.
— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.
About the Authors
John Spink is a multi-platform photojournalist with the breaking news team. He provides compelling photos, video and audio from breaking news events for the AJC and media partners WSB Channel 2 Action News & WSB Radio
