Vanessa McCray

Vanessa McCray leads the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's breaking news team by identifying and launching coverage of the top stories of the day. She joined the AJC in 2017, and spent seven years on the education team where she covered higher education, and before that, Atlanta Public Schools and Fulton County Schools. She previously worked at The Blade in Toledo, Ohio, and for newspapers in northern Michigan.

Latest from Vanessa McCray

Get ready to sizzle: Metro Atlanta hit with heat advisory to start weekend

The National Weather Service expects the feels-like temperature to top triple digits Friday and Saturday.

A meteor streaks across the sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower in Spruce Knob, W.Va. (Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP 2021)

Perseid meteor shower in Georgia: What to know, where to watch

The Perseid meteor shower will peak late Wednesday into Thursday and line up with a new moon, providing dark skies for better viewing opportunities. But expect some clouds.

HHS Secretary Kennedy attends CDC event for anniversary of Atlanta shooting

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. marked the one-year anniversary of a shooting that locked down the CDC for hours and killed a police officer.

2 injured in bus shooting after ‘accidental discharge,’ MARTA says

Two people were injured after a gun was accidentally discharged late Wednesday on a MARTA bus, transit officials say.

Deputies ID ex-boyfriend on the run after woman fatally shot in Hall County

Investigators say they believe the suspect is the ex-boyfriend of the woman fatally shot at a Hall County convenience store.

Cyclospora outbreak prompts lettuce recall in Georgia and beyond

Georgia has been largely spared from cases of illness so far, though it is among 27 states where lettuce is being recalled.

Flash flood warnings issued in metro Atlanta as rain soaks Friday commute

A flash food warning is in effect until 9:30 p.m. for many areas, including parts of Cherokee, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett counties, the National Weather Service said.

Mega Millions player in this coastal Georgia town just won $4 million

A Georgia Lottery player wins big in Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing.

Portion of I-285 closed for weekend as traffic slows through Atlanta

All north and southbound lanes of I-285 will be shut down between Cascade Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive until 5 a.m. Monday, June 8.

Armed shoplifting suspect killed by police at Cobb mall identified, GBI says

A shoplifting suspect at a Georgia mall died Wednesday after police said he produced a gun while running from an officer and the officer opened fire.