Man sentenced to seven years in Powder Springs roadway shooting

Marietta Daily Journal, Ga.
·2 min read

Jul. 27—A man will serve seven years behind bars, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to charges related to a Powder Springs shooting last year, prosecutors announced.

Rico Laprince Southall pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on April 22, and on July 13 was sentenced by Judge Eleanor L. Ross, according to the office of U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan, who oversees the Northern District of Georgia.

On April 1, 2021, Southall fired multiple shots at a family member he was pursuing on a public road in Powder Springs, according to prosecutors. Southall struck the family member's vehicle with several shots, and at least one round struck an unoccupied infant safety seat.

Southall also struck another driver's vehicle, prosecutors said. Nobody was injured in the shooting.

When Cobb police arrested Southall, he possessed a gun with an extended magazine and a revolver reported stolen out of Pennsylvania, per prosecutors. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) took the case and presented it to the U.S. Attorney's Office for prosecution.

"Southall's illegal possession and dangerous use of these weapons are serious crimes that show how gun violence is a risk to all of us," Buchanan said in a news release. "Keeping firearms out of the hands of convicted felons and individuals with violent criminal histories is essential to protecting the citizens of the district and reducing gun violence."

While the federal case is closed, Southall has additional pending charges in Cobb, the U.S. attorney's office said.

"The Cobb County Police Department is exceptionally proud of the actions of the officers, detectives, and civilian staff who were involved in this case and countless other cases like this. ... Through the continued work of seizing illegal guns and removing very violent offenders from our streets, far fewer of our Cobb County community members are shot, killed, and maimed," said Cobb Police Chief Stuart VanHoozer.