Two arrested, one suspect sought in Spalding County drive-by shooting
Two suspects, Toriyah Gotell and Andre Noble Jr., have been arrested in connection with a drive-by shooting in Spalding County; a juvenile suspect is still at large.
The suspects face multiple charges, including aggravated assault, criminal damage to property, and violations of Georgia's Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act.
Sheriff Darrell Dix emphasized the coordinated efforts of law enforcement units in identifying and apprehending the suspects, linking the incident to gang-related activity.
GRIFFIN, Ga. - Two people have been arrested and a third suspect is being sought in connection with a drive-by shooting that damaged two homes earlier this month in Spalding County, authorities said Monday.
The backstory
Deputies responded to reports of gunfire on Chester Woods Court at around 11:18 p.m. on May 4, where they found a home struck by multiple rounds and a single round had hit a neighboring home. Spent shell casings were recovered in the roadway, the Spalding County Sheriff's Office said.
A home surveillance video from the neighborhood captured footage of a vehicle in the area at the time of the shooting, which led to the identification of a suspect vehicle.
What we know
On May 6, investigators with the Spalding County Special Operations and S.T.I.N.G. units located and stopped the suspect vehicle. The driver, 18-year-old Toriyah Gotell of Griffin, was taken in for questioning. The vehicle was seized and searched pursuant to a warrant. Gotell was later arrested.
Further investigation led to the identification of two more suspects — 19-year-old Andre Noble Jr. of Griffin and a male juvenile also from Griffin. On May 13 at approximately 8:30 a.m., the sheriff's SWAT team executed a search warrant at 424 Lakeview Street, where Noble was taken into custody and a firearm was recovered.
Gotell and Noble are both facing multiple charges, including aggravated assault, criminal damage to property, and violations of Georgia's Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act. The juvenile suspect remains at large.
Charges:
Andre Noble Jr., 19:Aggravated Assault (4 counts)Criminal Damage to Property (2 counts)Violation of Georgia Street Gang Act (8 counts)
Aggravated Assault (4 counts)
Criminal Damage to Property (2 counts)
Violation of Georgia Street Gang Act (8 counts)
Toriyah Gotell, 18:Aggravated Assault (4 counts)Criminal Damage to Property (2 counts)Violation of Georgia Street Gang Act (4 counts)
Aggravated Assault (4 counts)
Criminal Damage to Property (2 counts)
Violation of Georgia Street Gang Act (4 counts)
What they're saying
Sheriff Dix praised the coordinated work of his deputies and specialized units.
"We had a S.T.I.N.G. Unit Investigator respond to the scene due to the link to possible gang activity," Sheriff Darrell Dix said. "A neighborhood canvas was conducted and home security camera from another residence was found to have had captured footage of a vehicle in the area at the time the gunfire occurred."
"The first Deputies on scene that night secured and protected the scene allowing our Crime Scene Investigators to gather pertinent evidence," he said. "Our STING Unit, Criminal Investigators, and Special Operations Agents did a great job identifying the suspects, gathering evidence, conducting interviews, linking the suspects to the drive-by, and locating where they were laying their heads. Then our SWAT Team paid them a visit that they will remember for the rest of their lives."
Dix added the shooting was not a random act, but a targeted attack likely linked to gang disputes.
"These types of incidents aren't random; they're targeted at a specific person or at rival gang members," he said. "Thankfully, an innocent person or child was not hit by a round. It also demonstrates the cowardice of all criminal street gang members. They sneak up on their rivals or their houses at night, attack them or fire their shots, and then run away like roaches when you flip a light switch on."
What we don't know
The investigation remains ongoing.
The Source
The Spalding County Sheriff's Office provided the details and mug shots for this article.
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