The victim of Sunday night’s shooting has been identified as 19-year-old Audrey Atkinson. The man investigators believe responsible – 22-year-old Anthony Michael Barrow – was transported to Grady Hospital with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and later died.
According to Newton County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer 1st Lt. Mark Mitchell, a call came into 911 around 10:20 p.m. about harassing phone calls. While deputies headed to Liberty Gas Station off Crowell Road at the intersection of Almon Road, another call came in about a person shot at the gas station.
When deputies arrived they reportedly found Atkinson dead inside the store, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. According to NCSO PIO Corporal Anthony Washington, Barrow had followed Atkinson to the gas station and the two – who knew each other, though their relationship has yet to be revealed – engaged in a verbal confrontation outside of the store. Atkinson fled inside the store and Barrow reportedly followed her inside and then shot her several times.
Investigators from the NCSO were eventually able to identify Barrow as their suspect and SWAT surrounded the residence where he living inside the Wellington Oaks subdivision off Ga. Highway 162 at 5:30 a.m. this morning. A stand-off ensued for more than four hours, with several negotiators on hand and distraction devices employed in an attempt to get Barrow out of the home.
Several members of Barrow’s family waiting across the highway and around 9:47 a.m. an ambulance siren was heard, which caused one female to begin sobbing and screaming “why!” and en elderly women to nearly collapse in the arms of loved ones, who carried her to a vehicle gagging.
According to Washington, as members of the Covington/Newton County SWAT Team broke into the home, they heard a shot and Barrow was found suffering from what is believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was transported to Grady Hospital where he later died.
The couple lived together at the home in Wellington Trail and according to Atkinson's blog they had a son together and we engaged until recently. Her Facebook page shows that she changed her status from "engaged" to single on March 2 and also became a fan of "If I Could Delete You From My Life That Would Be Amazing."
Keep checking CovNews.com for more information on this story as it becomes available.
