Police have charged an Athens-Clarke County man with murdering his sister and critically injuring his mother and another sister Tuesday.
Robert Norred, 28, is in police custody at the Athens Regional Medical Center in critical condition after a shooting spree that killed his sister, 29-year-old Leigh Pope, their sister Amy Norred and mother Carol Norred, police said.
Hours after the shooting, police discovered Robert Norred – whom police say is autistic – had locked himself in a bathroom and apparently turned the .380 revolver on himself.
He, his mother and surviving sister remain in critical condition at Athens Regional Medical Center.
Just before 1:30 p.m., police were called to a home in the 100 block of Beaver Trail for reports of gunfire in one of the area’s affluent neighborhoods.
The first officers responding to the reported hearing "what they believed to be gun shots," before entering the home to find the three women shot, Athens-Clarke police Capt. Charles Newson said.
Officers entered the home and found Pope, her mother and sister, and removed the women, Amy Norred’s uninjured 4-year-old son and Pope’s healthy 3-week-old infant child, police spokesman Capt. Clarence Holman said.
Police called in the strategic response team to search the house, moving slowly from room to room, Newson said.
"We like to take things slow and methodical to make sure we don't miss anything the first time," Newson said.
After searching the large three-story for several hours for the shooter, officers came upon an upstairs bedroom that was locked, and broke down the door.
Police emerged from the home with Robert Norred on a stretcher with a gunshot wound to his chest.
"He is breathing, but not communicating," Newson said early Tuesday evening.
Capt. Holman said investigators don’t know motive of the shootings.
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