What happened in Forest Park?
On Friday, January 5, 2024, a shooting spree occurred in Forest Park, Georgia, leaving one person dead and two others injured. The suspect, identified as Victor Demetrious Baymon, fled the scene and sparked a massive manhunt by multiple law enforcement agencies.
According to Forest Park police, the shooting started around 10:30 a.m. near Old Jonesboro Road and Simpson Road. The motive of the shooting is still unclear, but police said it was not a random act of violence. The victims were targeted by the suspect, who knew them personally or through business dealings.
The deceased victim was pronounced dead at the scene, while the two injured victims were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital. One of them was in critical condition and the other was stable. Their identities have not been released yet.
How was the suspect caught?
The suspect, Baymon, was considered armed and dangerous by the police. He was described as a Black male, 6 feet tall, 180 pounds, with dreadlocks and tattoos. He was wearing a black hoodie, blue jeans, and white shoes at the time of the shooting.
Baymon managed to evade the police for several hours, despite the lockdown of city buildings and local schools in Forest Park. He also carjacked a vehicle from a nearby gas station and drove it to Cobb County, where he abandoned it in a parking garage near Truist Park, the home of the Atlanta Braves baseball team.
The police were able to track down the vehicle using license plate readers installed in the cameras of the Department of Transportation. The cameras captured the vehicle’s location near Windy Ridge Parkway and Heritage Court, close to Truist Park, around 12:30 p.m.
The police searched the area, but did not find the suspect until around 8 p.m., when they received a tip from a citizen who spotted him near a hotel. The police surrounded the hotel and arrested Baymon without incident. He was taken to the Clayton County Jail, where he faces charges of murder, aggravated assault, and armed robbery.
What is the reaction of the authorities and the community?
The authorities praised the cooperation and coordination of the various law enforcement agencies involved in the manhunt, including the Forest Park Police Department, the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office, the Georgia State Patrol, the Cobb County Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
They also thanked the public for their assistance and patience during the search, and expressed their condolences to the victims and their families. They urged anyone with information about the shooting to contact the Forest Park Police Department or Crime Stoppers.
The community of Forest Park was shocked and saddened by the shooting, which was the second violent incident in the city in less than a year. In September 2023, a carjacking suspect was killed by Forest Park police after he fired at them on Jonesboro Road.
Some residents said they felt unsafe and worried about the crime in the area, while others said they hoped for peace and justice. They also offered their prayers and support to the victims and their loved ones.
