A community and its college campus were reeling Sunday after a deadly argument the day before that claimed the life of a student and led to a professor being charged with murder.
Carrollton police said security guards kicked out Richard Sigman, 47, from Leopoldo’s Pizza Napoletana on Adamson Square early Saturday when they noticed he was armed with a gun. Sigman walked to a parking deck across the street from the pizzeria and fired several shots into a parked vehicle, investigators said.
The Carrollton man struck 18-year-old Anna Jones, who was inside the vehicle, according to authorities. She later died at a hospital.
Police arrested Sigman, charging him with murder, three counts of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.
The fatal shooting happened less than two miles from the University of West Georgia’s main campus, where school officials confirmed Jones was a student. Brendan Kelly, the university’s president, also confirmed that Sigman was a faculty member at the school and said he has been fired, Channel 2 Action News reported.
Credit: Handout photo
Credit: Handout photo
“On behalf of the university, we wish to convey our deepest condolences to Anna’s family and many friends,” Kelly said in a statement. “We know this news is difficult to process and affects many members of our university community. We ask that you keep Anna’s family, friends and all who have been touched by this tragedy in your thoughts during this tremendously difficult time.”
In a GoFundMe campaign to help with funeral costs, Jones’ family and friends called her a “beautiful, sweet soul and her smile would light up a room.”
“As with most parents, you never think that you will need life insurance for your child,” a statement read on the GoFundMe page. “This was a devastating and senseless crime that left a lot of hearts broken, a community mourning and a family grieving.”
Georgia Senate Majority Leader Mike Dugan, whose legislative district includes Carroll County, posted a statement online, saying he was heartbroken at the news of the “tragedy in downtown Carrollton.”
“A senseless act of violence resulted in the death of Anna Jones, a Mt. Zion graduate who was attending the University of West Georgia this fall,” he added. “I’m holding her friends and family in my thoughts and prayers — I’d ask for everyone to do the same.”
The shooting unfolded just before 12:30 a.m. Saturday, according to a police statement. Sigman got into an argument with another man inside Leopoldo’s. That man told security inside the eatery that Sigman threatened to shoot him.
Security guards confronted Sigman, noticed he had a gun and asked him to leave the restaurant, police said.
According to investigators, he walked across the street to the courthouse parking deck and fired multiple rounds into a parked vehicle.
Police did not say whether Sigman targeted the vehicle for a specific reason or just fired into a random vehicle, and on Sunday, investigators were still unsure why he shot into that vehicle.
After Jones was shot, friends immediately drove the Carrollton teen to Tanner Medical Center, where she died, according to police.
Carrollton police said the investigation is ongoing. It wasn’t clear what caused the injury to Sigman’s head that is shown in his booking photo released by police, as authorities told Channel 2 that he already had the injury when he was located.
Caitlyn Glosson, a UWG student, said she couldn’t believe a professor would do that.
“I was just really shocked about it,” she told Channel 2.
UWG is offering all students, faculty and staff members counseling and support services. Students can call the school’s 24-hour counseling center at 678-839-6428 and select option 2, officials said.
