Raissa Kengne trial: Lawyer says defendant tried to break into his home
Michael Sullivan, whistleblower attorney, recounts when he saw Ms. Kengne on his surveillance camera trying to break into his house as she listens from her chair on April 28, 2026. (Credit: Miss Lacy Studios, LLCLauren Lacy)
ATLANTA - An attorney testified on Tuesday about his professional history with Raissa Kengne during the second day of her trial for a deadly 2022 shooting at a Midtown condominium complex.
What we know:
Witnesses on the second day of the trial included Michael Sullivan, an attorney who specializes in whistleblower cases.
Sullivan said Kengne contacted him to represent her and remained a client for seven weeks, during which he described her as "sophisticated" and "very intelligent." However, the firm eventually withdrew from the case, leading Kengne to sue the firm for allegedly exposing her identity.
Sullivan also testified about surveillance video from August 2022 that showed Kengne trying to force open the back door of his home.
Additionally, a homicide detective discussed reviewing footage from the shooting locations, and a taxi driver described driving Kengne to a home in Ansley Park and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport after the shootings.
What we don't know:
While the court reviewed surveillance video of Kengne at various locations, it is not yet clear exactly what motivated her to allegedly target the specific home in the Ansley Park neighborhood after the shootings.
The backstory:
Police said that on Aug. 22, 2022, Kengne shot the building manager of 1280 West Peachtree Street, 60-year-old Michael Shinners, and another employee, 68-year-old Michael Horne.
About 15 minutes later, Kengne's former boss, 41-year-old Wesley Freeman, was shot at 1100 Peachtree Street.
Shinners and Freeman died from their injuries, while Horne survived.
Investigators noted that the two men who died were both defendants in a lawsuit filed by Kengne.
Dig deeper:
Kengne was arrested at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on several charges, including murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
During the first day of the trial on Monday, a witness claimed Kengne held her at gunpoint and demanded she open a key storage box before leaving. Officers who arrived at the scene testified they found three shell casings and one person who had died.
During opening statements Monday, defense attorneys told the jury that Kengne is not guilty by reason of insanity, citing delusional behavior.
RELATED:
- Raissa Kengne trial begins for 2022 Midtown Atlanta condo shooting
- Taxi driver who drove suspected Midtown shooter to airport shares his story, security video
- Atlanta police release 911 calls from deadly Midtown shootings
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from testimony provided during the trial of Raissa Kengne in Fulton County Superior Court, as well as previous reporting from FOX 5 Atlanta regarding the 2022 shootings.