A sheriff’s deputy in northwest Georgia was fatally shot while responding to a domestic dispute call Saturday evening – marking the first line-of-duty death for the county sheriff’s office, authorities said.
Paulding County sheriff’s Deputy Brandon Cunningham, 30, was killed in the shooting at a home outside the city of Hiram, authorities said. A male suspected of being the gunman later was found dead with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot, and a female victim was found shot and seriously injured, the sheriff’s department said.
“Tonight, we’ve lost a hero,” Sheriff Gary Gulledge said during a news conference, appearing to hold back tears. “I ask that you pray for this family, both blood and blue. Everybody here is hurting. Our whole staff is hurting.”
Cunningham and another deputy responded to a domestic dispute call at the residence around 6:15 p.m., and someone inside the home fired a gun, striking Cunningham, sheriff’s Maj. Ashley Henson said in the news conference.
Cunningham was taken to a hospital, where he died, Henson said.
Other deputies who arrived also were met with gunfire, authorities said at the news conference. Cunningham was the only deputy reported to have been shot.
“Unfortunately, it appears as if our deputies were ambushed,” Henson said. He said it was unclear whether deputies fired back.
The male suspect died from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to Henson. That person’s name was not immediately released.
“We don’t know at what point where he took his own life, but we know that our deputies were in the midst of a hail of gunfire,” Henson said.