Murder charges filed after home invasion near GSU's Clarkston campus

A deadly shooting left one man dead Monday in DeKalb County. JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM

A deadly shooting left one man dead Monday in DeKalb County. JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM

DeKalb County police have charged two home invasion suspects with murder after their alleged partner was gunned down.

The men allegedly broke into a townhome near the Clarkston campus of Georgia State University's Perimeter College early on Oct. 10. Curtis Turner, 32, was found dead inside the unit at 3890 Parklane Drive.

Few details of the investigation have been made public, but warrants released Wednesday suggest Turner and two others were committing a home invasion when Turner was shot by one of the people in the home.

The other suspects, Benjamin J. Florence, 27, of Stone Mountain, and Tyler Alexander Brown, 21, of Smyrna, each face a charge of felony murder.

In Georgia, felony murder occurs when a person commits a felony (such as home invasion) that results in another person’s death. The charge doesn’t require intent to kill or even that the suspect physically do the killing.

Police allege the other suspects caused his death by taking part in the home invasion.

Benjamin Florence and Tyler Brown (Credit: DeKalb jail)

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A police spokesman said Wednesday the investigation is still underway and it hasn’t been determined whether the shooter will also face charges.

Florence and Brown were in the county jail without bond Wednesday.

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Man killed in shooting near GSU Perimeter campus. Video by John Spink/AJC