Atlanta shooting – live: Suspect Raïssa Kengne appears in court as police probe why victims were targeted

The woman accused of shooting three people and sending offices into lockdown in midtown Atlanta on Monday has been denied bail.

Raïssa Kengne appeared before a court in Tuesday afternoon accused of assaulting three people with a firearm and killing two of them, and was ordered to remain in detention.

The first attack took place at Ms Kengne’s luxury condo complex, with a second bout of gunfire erupting minutes later at an office building four blocks away.

Michael Shinners, 60, a building manager in Ms Kengne’s luxury condo complex, died at the scene, while Wesley Freeman, 41, who seems to have been a former colleague of Ms Kengne, died later in hospital.

While police are still probing the motive of the shooting, Ms Kengne appears to have made a series of LinkedIn posts and filed a lawsuit accusing Mr Freeman and her building managers of conspiring against her.

Officers said they believed the victims had been targeted specifically.

Key Points

• All we know about suspect Raïssa Kengne and three victims

• Three shot in midtown Atlanta

• Woman suspected of triple shooting in custody

• What we know so far - Atlanta shooting

‘Please remain silent, ma’am'

22:01 , Io Dodds

Here’s a video clip from Raïssa Kengne’s first appearance in court, showing her testy exchange with the judge.

Raïssa Kengne appears in court

21:23 , Io Dodds

Raïssa Kengne has been denied bail in her first appearance before a court in Atlanta.

Sitting before a video screen in a government building, wearing a face mask, Ms Kengne listened as the warrant against her was read out, accusing her of assaulting Michael Shinners, Wesley Freeman, and Michael Horne with a firearm.

Ms Kengne repeatedly attempted to speak up and intervene in the proceedings but was told by the judge to be quiet. "Your honour, if I may intervene – " she said at one point. "Please remain silent, ma'am," the judge responded.

The judge then told Ms Kengne that she had enough assets or income that she did not qualify for a taxpayer-funded defence lawyer under Georgia law, and that she must immediately hire her own lawyer without "delay or stall[ing]".

Ms Kengne attempted to protest, saying she had not had a chance to talk with her current lawyer about the facts of the case", but was told that would be sorted out at a later date.

The judge ordered that she remain in detention.

Appeal reportedly filed by suspect in lawsuit

20:45 , Gino Spocchia

In a lawsuit alleging a conspiracy against her, Raïssa Kengne accused two of her victims and her former employer of “retaliation, persecution, harassment, intimidation, threats, burglary, computer hacking, phone spoofng, and other attacks”, according to a version seen by The Independent.

The case, which a judge reportedly dismissed, came after she allegedly highlighted a “significant deficiency” in an audit at her former accounting firm that was disregarded, WSB-TV reported.

She then accused her condo management company of allowing “unauthorised individuals” to enter her apartment in connection with the claims and lawsuit and according to WSB-TV, filed an appeal against the judge’s decision as recently as last week.

Lisa Simmons, the president of Beacon Management Services, told local news media on Tuesday that Ms Kengne was a “disgruntled” resident.

Condition of third victim remain unknown

19:48 , Gino Spocchia

Lisa Simmons, the president of Beacon Management Services, told WSB-TV that her company employed both Michael Shinners, who died at the scene of the shooing, and Mike Horne, who remains in hospial.

She confirmed Mr Horne was a chief building engineer and that his current condition is unknown.

CBS46 reported earlier that he required surgery as a result of his injuries and was in an ICU unit, although details are scarce.

Suspect due in court

19:08 , Gino Spocchia

The suspect in Monday’s shooting in Midtown, Atlanta, is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday at 4pm local time, according to WSB-TV.

Police are yet to publicly name Raïssa Kengne as the woman taken into custody after shooting three people in a spree across Midtown, causing two deaths.

It will be her first appearance in court, with CBS46 reporting that she faces murder and aggravated assault charges.

Authorities release image of suspect

18:28 , Gino Spocchia

The suspect from Monday’s shooting in Atlanta has appeared in an image obtained by WSB-TV, who said on Tuesday that an official working for the federal bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Raïssa Kengne was arrested by an ATF officer at Atlanta’s international airport on Monda before Atlanta police arrived at the scene, the report added.

ICYMI: Everything we know

17:48 , Gino Spocchia

With an investigation into Monday’s shooting in Midtown Atlanta still ongoing, here’s everything we know so far about what happened, who the suspect was, and why the victims might have been targeted:

Atlanta shooting: Everything we know so far about suspect Raïssa Kengne

Suspect was ‘disgruntled resident’, condo company says

16:48 , Gino Spocchia

The suspect in Monday’s Atlanta shooting was a resident of the same condo building where two employees were shot, killing one and wounding another.

Lisa Simmons, the president of the company managing 1280 West Peachtree Street, told WSB-TV that Raïssa Kengne was a “disgruntled resident of the building,” the news outlet reported on Tuesday.

Social media accounts from witnesses as well as local news media had suggested that she lived at the building and had targeted condo manager Michael Shinners and chief building engineering Mike Horne, who both worked for Beacon Management Services

Tributes paid to condo building manager

15:48 , Gino Spocchia

Friends and residents of the apartment building where 60-year-old Michael Shinners was killed have since paid tribute.

“Micheal Shinners was an above and beyond building manager. He was loved by our community. The events today are shocking and he can never be replaced. We are deeply saddened,” said resident Brian Hall to CBS46.

“He always had a smile on his face, and had a gift to also make others smile with his awesome sense of humour,” a former colleague, Jennifer Cheek, added on Facebook. “He was so kind and light hearted.”

Another resident of 1280 West Peachtree Street, David Lowery, added: “I don’t know these folks names but anyone who parks a car here or walks their dog sees them on a regular basis, certainly I know their faces. What a tragedy.”

Reports suggest Shinners was shot along with a colleague, engineer Mike Horne, who remains in hospital. The suspect was thought to have targeted the pair, police said.

Third victim named, remains hospitalised

14:48 , Gino Spocchia

The third shooting victim has reportedly been identified by his employer, Beacon Management Services, as Mike Horne, CBS46 reports.

Mr Horne is an engineer working at the apartment block where the first shooting took place on Monday morning at 1280 West Peachtree Street, his LinkedIn profile suggests.

He is thought to remain in an ICU and required surgery after being shot alongside Michael Shinners, who died at the scene.

Medical examiner names victims, report says

13:42 , Gino Spocchia

Michael Shinners, 60 and Wesley Freeman, 41, have been identified by the medical examiner for Fulton County as the two victims killed in the shooting earlier that morning, according to 11Alive.

Police are yet to name the pair as those killed by the suspect, while a third person remains in hospital in an unconfirmed condition.

Shinners was one of two people shot at an apartment on 1280 West Peachtree St, Atlanta police said. Freeman was shot at a different building more than a mile away, on 1100 Peachtree Street.

Here’s what we know:

Two victims killed in Atlanta shooting identified

Mother describes how her daughter was shot at

10:58 , Io Dodds

The mother of a woman who was caught up in the shooting has spoken about her experience.

Tamesha Steed, whose daughter was working at the 1280 West apartment complex when the shooting began, told 11 Alive that her daughter was "pretty shook up".

"My daughter was shot at, but she's okay," said Ms Steed. "She is actually an employee here.... she did say the shooter had some medical conditions, so I don't know if this was something mental."

She added: "What they're saying is that the shooter was targeting employees of the building.... when I called to talk to my daughter, she was screaming through the phone, she was so shook."

She described the complex as "an upscale condo building", where her daughter had worked for about 6-8 months.

ICYMI: Suspect had filed lawsuit against two victims

09:44 , Io Dodds

Two of the Atlanta shooting victims were named in a lawsuit apparently filed by suspect Raïssa Kengne this May.

In a 407-page complaint spotted by Kevin D Reyes, an open source intelligence analyst at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, and reviewed by The Independent, Raissa Djuissi Kengne accuses her former company, former colleagues, former clients, her building manager, one of her neighbours, and her own lawyers of engaging in a conspiracy against her.

"This case concerns the retaliation, persecution, harassment, intimidation, threats, burglary, computer hacking, phone spoofng, and other attacks the Plaintiff was subjected to upon reporting to the relevant authorities a violation of [various finance laws]," the complaint reads.

In the version seen by The Independent, only Ms Kengne's neighbour Justin Mungal had yet responded in detail to the lawsuit, calling her complaint a "shotgun pleading" and denying her claims.

Atlanta shooting: All we know about suspect Raïssa Kengne and three victims

09:19 , Arpan Rai

The Atlanta police department did not name the suspect in the Midtown shooting incident on Monday and only said she was female. The department also released blurry CCTV photos of her.

However, according to CBS 46, an email sent out to employees of Atlanta’s metro rail system, MARTA, named the suspect as Raissa Kengne.

The photos released by the police force, and another posted on Twitter by radio host Brian Moote, showed a Black woman wearing glasses and a black and white striped shirt surrounded by law enforcement officers.

A source within the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) confirmed that name to WSB Channel 2, saying Ms Kengne had been arrested by ATF officers with a 9mm Glock pistol in her purse.

Read the full story here:

Atlanta shooting: Everything we know so far about suspect Raïssa Kengne

Workers describe midtown lockdowns

08:37 , Io Dodds

Office workers whose buildings went on lockdown during the shooting have described the situation to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Jaylen Green said that when his building's active shooter alarm went off, he feared the shooter might actually be inside his workplace.

”We didn’t understand that what was happening outside was different from what was happening in the building. We assumed there was an active shooter in our building," he said.

Another nearby worker, Tori Alexas, said her building was kept under lockdown for two hours.

"Around 2 o’clock the sirens started going off and then they slowly started blocking off the road," she said. "I don’t want to have this fear of leaving work and having to look out for a shooter now."

Probing if victims were shot randomly - Atlanta police

08:10 , Arpan Rai

Atlanta police said they are actively investigating the circumstances surrounding the shootings reported on Monday.

The officials said that “it is unclear what led to the shootings”.

We are investigating the connection between the locations, the police department said in a statement.

They added: “We are working to determine whether the victims were targeted by the suspect or whether any of the victims were shot randomly.”

Reason behind Midtown shooting, targeting victims unclear - Atlanta police

07:09 , Arpan Rai

Atlanta police officials have said that the reason behind Monday’s shooting incident is not immediately clear, and they do not know what prompted the attack or whether the victims were targeted.

However, the police confirmed that they were able to locate the suspected shooter at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport, just hours after the incident, with the help of an “extensive camera network”.

ATF also names suspect as Raissa Kengne

06:23 , Io Dodds

A source inside the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (known as the ATF) has confirmed the suspect's identity as Raissa Kengne, according to WSBTV Channel 2.

The source said Ms Kengne was arrested by ATF agents the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport with a 9mm Glock pistol in her purse after a taxi company told officers it had ferried her there.

The ATF was among numerous local and federal law enforcement agencies given thanks by Atlanta's police department on Monday.

Victim's mother in law speaks out

06:15 , Io Dodds

A woman has spoken out claiming to the mother in law of shooting victim Wesley Freeman.

"Please pray for my family," said Janice Gardner on Facebook on Monday. "My daughter’s husband Wes was one of the victims in the shooting today. He passed away a couple of hours ago. Thanks for your prayers."

Pictured: Female suspect seized in Atlanta airport as two dead in shooting

05:06 , Arpan Rai

The Atlanta police department arrested a female suspect who allegedly shot dead two victims and wounded one other in the city on Monday, according to officials.

The suspected woman was held by police officers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and “taken into custody without incident.”

Visuals from the airport showed the suspected woman in handcuffs at the airport. Witnesses present at the time of police taking the women into custody said that the events leading to the arrest were lowkey and did not peril the safety of those present at the airport.

“***SUSPECT IN CUSTODY***” the department tweeted shortly after that.

APD says that the city’s “extensive camera network” helped them locate the suspect, who has not been named, at the airport.

The arrest came after APD had released surveillance video images of the female they say shot the three people at Colony Square in Midtown on Monday.

Read the full report on the Midtown shooting here:

Female suspect seized in Atlanta airport as two dead in shooting

Residents say the shooter targeted building managers

03:59 , Io Dodds

The first shooting was a targeted attack on management staff at the apartment building where the suspect lived, according to CBS 46.

Residents at the scene of the first shooting told reporter Patrick Quinn that the suspect lived in their building.

They said that the shooter targeted apartment management staff on the plaza level of the complex.

Video shows police entering buildings near shooting

02:51 , Io Dodds

Witness videos given to Atlanta news broadcaster 11 Alive show police officers responding to the shooting on Monday.

The clips show officers in body armour carrying rifles walking into businesses near Colony Square and a building lobby near Juniper St and 14th St.

Victims named as Wesley Freeman and Michael Shinners

01:47 , Io Dodds

The shooting victims have been named as Wesley Freeman, 41, and Michael Shinners, 60, according to local media reports.

CBS 46 anchor Shon Gables broke the news on Twitter, citing the Fulton County medical examiner.

Notably, both Mr Freeman and Mr Shinners were named as defendants in the lawsuit filed by Raïssa Kengne earlier this year, claiming that they were involved in a conspiracy against her.

Mr Freeman's own LinkedIn page describes him as an information security auditor who has worked at Ms Kengne's former employer for nearly 17 years.

Mr Shinners, meanwhile, is identified in Ms Kengne's lawsuit as the general manager of her apartment complex at 1280 West Peachtree St.

‘We do not believe this was random’, police say

01:36 , Io Dodds

Atlanta police said that they believe the victims were specifically targeted, but are still looking for a motive.

“We do not believe these were random acts of violence," said interim police chief Darrin Schierbaum at a press conference on Monday afternoon.

Mayor Andre Dickens said the woman was arrested before entering a restricted area and that the “security of the airport was never compromised."

Suspect filed lawsuit against her former employer

01:15 , Io Dodds

The Atlanta suspect appears to have filed a lawsuit against her former employer and other parties in May, making the same allegations contained in her LinkedIn posts.

In a 407-page complaint uncovered by Kevin D Reyes, an open source intelligence analyst at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, Raissa Djuissi Kengne accusers her former employer of conspiring with her building management company, her neighbours, and her own previous lawyers in order to retaliate against her.

"This case concerns the retaliation, persecution, harassment, intimidation, threats, burglary, computer hacking, phone spoofng, and other attacks the Plaintiff was subjected to upon reporting to the relevant authorities a violation of [various finance laws]," the complaint reads.

In the version seen by The Independent, only Ms Kengne's neighbour Justin Mungal had yet responded in detail to the lawsuit, calling her complaint a "shotgun pleading" and denying her claims.

Suspect’s LinkedIn posts mentioned buildings where shooting unfolded

Tuesday 23 August 2022 00:07 , Io Dodds

The Atlanta shooting suspect appears to be an information security auditor who made social media posts alleging a conspiracy against her, The Independent has found.

Atlanta transit chiefs told employees on Monday that the suspect was named Raissa Kengne, according to local news station CBS 46.

And in the week before the shooting, a LinkedIn page belonging to one Raïssa Kengne made a series of posts mentioning the same buildings where the killings unfolded on Monday.

Ms Kengne, whose LinkedIn page identifies her as chief executive of her own accounting firm based in Atlanta, claimed that her former employer had been targeting her with criminal acts, in cahoots with the manager of her apartment building.

"My home was broken into, my computers were hacked, and my phones were spoofed," she alleged, adding that she believed that "evidence" in her safe had been deleted.

One video showed her arguing with a police officer and complaining that a reported burglary at her home had not been properly investigated.

Ms Kengne's posts named the same apartment building where Atlanta police said the first of the shooting spree's two victim were shot on Monday.

And the company she previously worked for has its Atlanta office at the same building where the third victim was shot.

Atlanta police have not yet identified the suspect arrested.

Is this the Atlanta suspect’s LinkedIn page?

Monday 22 August 2022 23:26 , Io Dodds

A LinkedIn page has surfaced that appears to belong to the suspect in the Atlanta shooting.

Atlanta’s metro rail service sent an email to employees naming the suspect as Raissa Kengne, according to CBS 46.

There is indeed a LinkedIn page for a woman with that name, who lives in Atlanta, works as an information security auditor, and seems to match an early photo of the suspect.

The owner of the page has made a string of unusual posts, alleging a criminal conspiracy against her by one of her former employers in cahoots with her apartment building manager and posting videos of her interactions with Atlanta police.

The Independent is investigating further.

Atlanta transit bosses name suspect

Monday 22 August 2022 23:11 , Io Dodds

According to local news station CBS 46, the suspect may be a woman named Raissa Kengne.

The broadcaster reported that Atlanta’s metro rail service, MARTA, sent an email to employees identifying the suspect as Ms Kengne and warning them to watch out for her.

City police have not yet confirmed the suspect’s name.

What police have said so far

Monday 22 August 2022 22:55 , Io Dodds

Here's the latest statement from Atlanta police:

“On 22 August 2022, at around 1:45 PM, officers responded to a person shot call at 1280 W. Peachtree Street.

“Upon arrival, officers located two individuals who appeared to have been shot. One of the victims has died and the second was taken to the hospital for treatment.

“While at 1280 W. Peachtree Street, officers received another call of a person shot at 1100 Peachtree Street. Upon arrival there, officers located 1 individual who appeared to have been shot. The individual was taken to the hospital for treatment and has since died.

“Initial information indicates an unknown female is responsible for these incidents. Multiple officers responded to the Midtown area and began searching for the female suspect....

“The female suspect was located at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and taken into custody without incident.”

The department added that it's still investigating why the shootings occurred and whether the victims were specifically targeted or shot randomly.

It said it is now reopening the Midtown area and various buildings there.

Photos of the suspect

Monday 22 August 2022 22:38 , Io Dodds

The Atlanta Police Department has released two photos of the person it believes is responsible for the shootings.

Police filmed searching taxis while hunting for shooting suspect

Monday 22 August 2022 22:15 , Graig Graziosi

The Twitter account ATL Uncensored shared a video of city police searching cars with their guns drawn while hunting for the suspect in a midtown shooting that left one person dead and two others wounded.

Police eventually took a woman into custody in connection with the shooting.

Second victim reportedly dead

Monday 22 August 2022 21:54 , Graig Graziosi

A second victim has reportedly died after a triple shooting in midtown Atlanta.

A woman believed to be a suspect in the shooting has been taken into custody at an airport in the city. One other person is wounded and their condition is unclear.

What we know so far - Atlanta shooting

Monday 22 August 2022 21:43 , Graig Graziosi

The Independent’s Graeme Massie has everything you need to know about the midtown Atlanta shooting in his story below:

Atlanta police arrest female suspect after shooting kills one and injures two others

Woman suspected of triple shooting in custody

Monday 22 August 2022 21:31 , Graig Graziosi

Atlanta police reportedly have taken a woman into custody in connection to a triple shooting in midtown Atlanta that occurred Monday afternoon.

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority reportedly sent out an email to employees identifying the woman shortly after the shooting, but police have not confirmed her name.

Police say suspect may have fled the scene in a taxi or rideshare car

Monday 22 August 2022 21:18 , Graig Graziosi

Atlanta police said the suspect in a triple shooting in midtown Monday may have fled the scene by hailing a cab or calling a rideshare car.

Police said they believe they have identified a suspect but do not know that individual’s current location. As a result they are recommending residents of the area stay in their homes until further information becomes available.

Three shot in midtown Atlanta

Monday 22 August 2022 21:13 , Graig Graziosi

Three people were shot just before 2pm Monday in midtown Atlanta.

Police are still on-scene and consider the situation active. The status of the three injured individuals is currently unknown.

Law enforcement have identified a possible suspect and are currently trying to locate them.