The family of a woman found dead at a Gwinnett County construction site said they are thankful the suspected shooter is behind bars after he remained at large for several days.
Gwinnett police on Tuesday announced the arrest of Edward Smith, 36, of McDonough, after he turned himself in at the county jail the night before. Smith was wanted on charges of aggravated assault and felony murder in the death of 33-year-old Breana Rogers, who was killed Friday evening along a busy stretch of Stone Mountain Highway.
“I think my husband and I actually got some sleep last night,” Deanna Rogers, the victim’s mother, told Channel 2 Action News on Tuesday. “You know, the biggest fear was that he was going to hurt somebody else.”
Breana Rogers’ body was found next to a wrecked vehicle in a driveway leading to the construction site, located near an Applebee’s and a business strip just east of Rockbridge Road. The vehicle appeared to have been the only one involved in the crash, according to police.
The McDonough woman had been shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
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Witnesses told investigators the shooter ran away through the construction site. According to police spokesperson Sgt. Jennifer Richter, Smith was linked to the case by the wrecked vehicle’s registration number, and he was identified as a suspect the following day.
Richter said the shooting was the result of a domestic altercation but could not provide further details.
Rogers’ parents said they did not know Smith or the nature of his relationship with their daughter. They told Channel 2 they could not imagine what would lead someone to kill Breana.
“She did not know what an awesome person she was,” Deanna Rogers told the news station.
“She didn’t get a chance to find out,” the victim’s father added.
Rogers’ family has created a GoFundMe page to help take her body back to her home state of Indiana, pay her final expenses and provide for her child. According to the fundraising page, Rogers is survived by a 16-year-old son.
Smith is being held at the jail without bond.
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