Man arrested after deadly Paulding County road rage shooting
Man charged in Paulding County road rage incident
The Paulding County Sheriff’s Office says Collins Pruitt allegedly shot Shawn Christopher Brannon on Monday.
PAULDING CO., Ga. - The Paulding County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man for shooting and killing a man this week.
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What we know:
The Paulding County Sheriff’s Office says Collins Pruitt allegedly shot another man on Monday around 2:25 p.m. near the intersection of Ridge Road and Cohran Store Road.
Deputies say they believe the shooting started with road rage, then turned deadly. "They got into a road rage… aggravated by that impatience," said Paulding County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Ashley Henson.
The victim, identified as Shawn Christopher Brannon, called 911 after he was shot and drove himself to a fire station, according to the sheriff's office. He was taken to Wellstar Paulding Hospital but died.
The sheriff’s office says they found Pruitt by tracking down the black SUV involved in the shooting. Detectives arrested Pruitt at his home in Cobb County.
Collins Pruitt in Paulding County Sheriff's Office custody. Photo courtesy of the Paulding County Sheriff's Office.
He is charged with voluntary manslaughter, according to the sheriff’s office. Department officials say the shooting doesn’t meet the threshold for murder charges because the victim appears to have been the aggressor. "He was not charged with murder because our detectives determined the incident did not meet [the] legal standard for murder," Henson said.
Pruitt is being held in the Paulding County Jail without bond, according to the sheriff's office.
Dig deeper:
Multiple citizens have contacted the district attorney’s office seeking clarity on the legal distinctions between voluntary and involuntary manslaughter. In Georgia, voluntary manslaughter occurs when a person kills another in the heat of passion provoked by serious circumstances, and is punishable by one to 20 years in prison. Involuntary manslaughter, which involves unintentional killings during unlawful or negligently performed lawful acts, carries lesser penalties ranging from a misdemeanor to a maximum of 10 years in prison.
District Attorney Robert S. Lane said his office would not comment further on the case, citing the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct, which prohibit prosecutors from making extrajudicial statements that could heighten public condemnation of the accused.
What they're saying:
The shooting has left many in the community shaken and searching for answers.
"It could be road rage or something like that," one person near the scene remarked.
Another resident expressed sorrow and caution. "I’m sorry someone lost their life," he said. "Not a good way to live, but you gotta be careful with today’s world—don’t know what it's going to be."
"There’s definitely something weird going on," another person added, echoing the unease felt by many in the area.
What we don't know:
No word on his next court appearance.
The Source: Information for this article came from a press release written by the Paulding County Sheriff's Office. This article has been updated since it was originally published to add new details.