Trial opens in deadly Villa Rica home invasion shooting
Villa Rica trial reveals seven shell casings
Villa Rica police body camera footage shown in court captured a kicked door and seven shell casings after a fatal November 2024 shooting, according to testimony
VILLA RICA, Ga. - A trial is underway for a suspect accused of killing a man and wounding a woman during a November 2024 home invasion in Villa Rica, police said.
Villa Rica police investigation
What we know:
A Villa Rica police officer took the witness stand, walking jurors through body camera footage from the night of the shooting in November 2024.
Officer Deborah Williams testified that officers arrived to find a front door kicked in and heard a woman screaming from an upstairs window. Inside the home, officers discovered multiple victims, including one hiding in a closet.
Tavarus Joiner died from his injuries in his bedroom, while his girlfriend, Jacquenetta Joiner, survived the attack.
Jacquenette Joiner had been staying at her cousin Tavares' home to get away from the suspect, according to family.
Investigators told jurors they recovered seven shell casings and a firearm from a bathroom sink. Police worn body camera shown to the jury revealed a surviving victim naming the gunman as Sirmans.
Carroll County court trial
What we don't know:
Jurors have not been informed that the suspect was previously acquitted in 2022 for a double murder in Gwinnett County back in 2019.
That prior case took place on the exact same date five years earlier. Prosecutors have not publicly stated if additional charges will be added as the trial continues.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Villa Rica Police Officer Deborah Williams, who testified in court and provided body camera footage, as well as victim's mother Janet Joiner Demby.