Suspect in killing of 4 neighbors in Georgia is shot dead after manhunt

A man accused of killing four neighbors in the Atlanta suburb of Hampton, Georgia, was killed Sunday after a manhunt, officials said.

"The monster is dead," Henry County Sheriff Reginald B. Scandrett said at a news conference Sunday afternoon. "The entire state of Georgia can breathe a little easier tonight."

Law enforcement tracked the suspect from Saturday's bloodshed to an area near the border between Henry and Clayton counties, about 20 miles south of Atlanta, he said.

Officers exchanged gunfire with the man twice before he was "neutralized" and ultimately declared dead, Scandrett said.

Officials had been looking for Andre Longmore, 40, and a GMC Acadia SUV he was believed to be driving. Authorities were armed with an arrest warrant Sunday based on four allegations of murder.

Officials said Longmore fatally shot four residents of Dogwood Lakes Drive and Dogwood Ridge about 10:45 a.m. Saturday. On Sunday, Hampton Police Chief James Turner identified the victims as Scott Levitt, 67; Shirley Levitt, 66; Steve Blizzard, 65; and Ronald Jeffers, 66.

He said motive remained a mystery. Longmore was a resident of Dogwood Lakes Drive community. The Acadia was stolen from Blizzard, Turner said.

"This community is grieving," Hampton City Manager Alex Cohilas said. "We're thankful we have achieved a resolution in which no more loss of life has occurred."

Turner said his city of more than 8,000 last reported a homicide in 2018 and is one of the safest communities in the state. "It's just not normal for us," he said of Saturday's violence.

Scandrett spoke of "a couple" of law enforcement officers who were injured Saturday. The worst of Saturday's injuries were suffered by an officer struck in his back by gunfire, the sheriff said.

The officer was conscious, breathing and expected to survive, Scandrett said. At least one other officer suffered non-life-threatening injuries, officials said.

The killing spree and law enforcement's response were under investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com