A Lawrenceville man is accused of shooting and killing his wife before being confronted by his stepdaughter and her husband, leading to an exchange of gunfire that fatally wounded his son-in-law.
Bernie Mack, 61, was arrested Thursday in the shooting deaths of his wife, 61-year-old Bridget Mack, and 36-year-old Jeremy Santos, according to Gwinnett County police. He is facing one count of malice murder and two counts each of felony murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.
The shootings rocked the quiet Saint Martins Cove subdivision south of Lawrenceville and prompted a large police presence Thursday evening.
Gwinnett police were called to the neighborhood just after 6 p.m. after getting reports of an aggravated assault, police spokesman Cpl. Ryan Winderweedle said. Officers found Bridget Mack dead inside a house along Harbor Bay Drive and Santos lying dead outside a vehicle down the street.
Credit: Cindy Blankenship
Credit: Cindy Blankenship
According to the initial investigation, Bridget Mack’s daughter and her son-in-law Santos went to the home to check on the woman after she did not arrive at their house as they expected. When they arrived, they found the 61-year-old dead from a gunshot wound, Winderweedle said.
The married couple saw Bernie Mack in the subdivision as they were leaving, prompting a confrontation that escalated to gunfire between Mack and Santos, Winderweedle said. Santos was killed during the shootout, according to police.
Mack remained on scene and was taken into custody without incident, Winderweedle said. Investigators believe the initial shooting was triggered by a domestic dispute between Bridget and Bernie Mack.
Anyone with information is asked to call Gwinnett police detectives at 770-513-5300.
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