Neighbor fatally shoots off-duty investigator breaking into home, Georgia cops say
An off-duty investigator broke into a neighbor’s house in Georgia and was shot dead, authorities said.
Early in the morning on Friday, Oct. 4, a man, later identified as Atlanta Police Department investigator Aubree Horton, broke into the front door of a home and went inside, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that day.
Deputies responded to the shooting around 5 a.m. at the house in Winston, about a 30-mile drive west of Atlanta. The house is in the same neighborhood where Horton lived, authorities said.
Once Horton made his way inside the house, the homeowner shot him in self-defense, deputies said. Horton died at the home, authorities said.
The sheriff’s office said security footage made it seem like Horton was “experiencing a mental health episode or under the influence of narcotics,” but the investigation is ongoing.
“We are working closely with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office to learn more about what occurred as they investigate the incident,” the Atlanta Police Department said.
Horton, who had been an investigator with the Atlanta Police for almost nine years, recently won the “Investigator of the Year” award at an annual “Crime is Toast” breakfast, held Sept. 24 by the Atlanta Police Foundation.
In a video shared by the department, Horton described himself as persistent and a hard-worker.
“You gotta continue to pounce and turn things over, turn things over and you’re looking for that one break … and then you gotta jump on it,” Horton said in the video.
He said what he likes about his work is helping bring closure to people.
This story was originally published October 7, 2024 at 12:50 PM with the headline "Neighbor fatally shoots off-duty investigator breaking into home, Georgia cops say."
