Raissa Kengne trial begins for 2022 Midtown Atlanta condo shooting
Midtown shooting suspect Raissa Kengne waits for a hearing on Aug. 23, 2022, at the Fulton County Jail. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
ATLANTA - A woman accused of shooting three people at her Midtown condominium complex in 2022 appeared in a Fulton County courtroom Monday as her trial began.
What we know:
Raissa Kengne is facing murder charges related to a 2022 shooting at the 1280 West condos that left two people dead and another injured. During opening statements Monday, defense attorneys told the jury that Kengne is not guilty by reason of insanity, citing delusional behavior.
Witnesses who worked at the complex testified about the moments the gunfire began. Zamir Steed, an employee at the condos, said Kengne was "rude" in previous interactions and had lived without electricity for a long time. Steed testified she hid in a bathroom while Kengne shot through the door. She claimed Kengne later grabbed her and held her at gunpoint, demanding she open a key storage box, but eventually left without killing her.
A concierge at the building became emotional on the stand while describing the "pow pow" of the shots. He told the court Kengne appeared "absolutely calm" and "stoic" during the attack. Atlanta police officers who first arrived at the scene testified they found three shell casings and one person who had died.
The Fulton County Superior Court judge last week sustained an objection by the defense about not allowing cameras in the courtroom during the trial.
The backstory:
On Aug. 22, 2022, investigators said Raissa Kengne shot the building manager of 1280 West Peachtree Street, 60-year-old Michael Shinners, and another employee, 68-year-old Michael Horne.
Just 15 minutes after Atlanta police responded to the first shooting, a second 911 call was placed, reporting a shooting at 1100 Peachtree Street. Kengne's former boss, 41-year-old Wesley Freeman, was suffering from a gunshot wound.
Officials said Kengne tried to shoot a fourth person at the condo.
FOX 5 reported that Kengne asked a cab driver to take her to a home near the Ansley Golf Club that belonged to Michael Sullivan, an Atlanta attorney whose firm turned down working with Kengne on a whistleblower lawsuit.
Surveillance video showed Kengne on the front porch of Sullivan's home. While it was not clear exactly why she was there, the men who died in the Midtown shooting were both listed as defendants in her lawsuit.
Kengne was caught at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport where she faced multiple charges including murder, felony murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
As a result of the shooting, Shinners and Wesley died.
Horne was the only survivor.
The Source: The details in this article were gathered from the first day of testimony during the trial in Fulton County.