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Man shot dead in front of area home
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The Newton County Sheriff's office is currently tracking down suspects in the Tuesday shooting death of a black man off of Flat Shoals Road, investigators said.

At approximately 12:05 a.m. Tuesday morning, 911 received several calls of shots fired in the Hidden Pines subdivision. Sheriff's deputies were on scene within minutes.

Captain Mark Thomas said the body of a black male was found shot to death at 125 Hidden Pines Drive. The man, whom Thomas described as in his mid to late 20s, had been shot once.

He had no form of identification on his person.

Newton County Sheriff's investigator Lieutenant Bill Watterson said the victim had been identified Tuesday afternoon, but the name will not be released until Wednesday after the family had been notified.

"We've got some leads," Watterson said. "And we'll release a lot more about the case tomorrow."

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was called in to handle the scene, but the case will still be investigated by the sheriff's office. Watterson said the entire department was currently on the case.

Linda White has lived next door to 125 Hidden Pines Drive for 8 years. She described the street as quiet, with noisy children as the neighborhood's biggest problem.

At the time of the shooting, White was visiting with friends several houses away from her own. She said she heard the gunshot and turned in time to see two men fleeing while one hit the ground.

 The men first headed for their car, which White described as burgundy, before changing direction and escaping behind the house.

White then returned home and called 911. She said authorities were quickly on the scene.

The three men had been around the house during the afternoon, White said. She had never seen them before Monday.

Watterson said White's description of two other men involved was a low number. There are at least two suspects the sheriff's office is currently seeking.

Thomas said the murder was the fifth of the year in Newton County.

If you have any information about this incident, call the Newton County Sheriff's Office at (678) 625-1400.

Rachel Oswald contributed to this story.